Cursed

Jack blinked in surprise as three centaurs made their way out of the woods and into the clearing.  Ianto nodded to them respectfully in greeting before turning to Jack and offering him a hand up.  Jack pulled on his greatcoat as he stood, wondering at how Ianto seemed comfortable to be shirtless in his pyjamas in the company of these creatures.

“Jack, please allow me to introduce Professor Firenze,” he said, his tone formal.  “Professor…”

“Just Firenze, if you please,” came the slow, deep response of the palomino centaur with the pale hair.  “I have not taught for some years, now.”

“Very well, Firenze, please allow me to introduce Captain Jack Harkness.”

“It is an honor to make your acquaintance,” Firenze nodded towards Jack.

“The honor is mine,” Jack replied, realizing these creatures were as solemn and formal as the rumors made them out to be.

The darker of the centaurs fisted his hands and stamped his front hooves in Ianto’s direction.  “You have defiled this sacred place by coupling with a muggle?”

“You were watching us?” Ianto demanded, looking more indignant than embarrassed.

“Bane,” spoke the third centaur, and his tone held a warning.

“No, but your… voices brought us near.  We only saw you dressing,” Firenze assured them, and then he picked up as though that exchange had not taken place.  “Please allow me to introduce Bane and Ronan,” he gestured from the darker centaur to the ginger one as he introduced them.  “Bane and Ronan, this is…” he trailed off, realizing that even though he knew the man standing before him, he didn’t actually know him.

“Ianto Jones,” Ianto smiled and gave another nod of greeting.  “Formerly Neville Longbottom.”

“Ah,” Firenze nodded.  “Then you were right to make free of this place; for it is yours as much as it is ours.”

“How can you say that?” Bane sneered.  “He is yet human.”

“You have eyes to see, Bane,” Firenze replied in that same slow, patient tone.  “If you would but look.”

“You knew?” Ianto asked, frowning, feeling both Ronan and Bane fix their gazes upon him.

“Part of your fate was sealed as soon as the dark wizards captured the unicorn.  But we could say nothing, because the rest of that line of your destiny did not fulfill itself until a few weeks ago.”

“But you…  The curses wouldn’t have worked on you?” Ianto asked, clearly upset that he had left a stone unturned.  Jack took his hand and interlaced their fingers; a gesture of comfort.

“That cannot be known,” Ronan answered, his impassive voice holding the barest note of kindness.  “And it does no good to speculate.  Had we been immune to the curses, you would have forestalled your destiny,” his gaze drifted to Jack before returning to Ianto.  “And had we not, you likely would not have survived an attack from one of us.”

Ianto shuddered at the thought of missing the opportunity to help Jack.  And of possibly losing him, altogether.  It still hurt, and yet strangely, it was a relief to know that there had been no way to prevent what he’d been forced to endure.  He gave a jerky nod of acknowledgement and squeezed Jack’s hand, because he could and because he needed to, but most of all, because he wanted to.  Jack smiled at him before turning to Bane.

“We meant no disrespect,” he said, his voice neutral.  He glanced at Ianto.  “It was the moon, I think.”

Ianto blinked at him and then saw Firenze’s nod.  “Both creatures whose blood flows in your veins are influenced by the moon.  Humans as well, though they are loathe to admit it.”

“Both?” Ianto asked, his grip on Jack’s hand tightening as he tried not to feel overwhelmed.  “I’d always heard about unicorns and the full moon.  But dragons?”

“It is said that the new moon holds sway over dragons,” Ronan replied.  “But it is difficult to know for certain.”

“Why?” Jack asked.

“Because the younger ones are wilder and less… aware,” Firenze answered.  “Dragons are thought not to be sentient, or certainly much less so than unicorns, but they are long-lived creatures, and with age comes a degree of awareness.  The oldest dragons are quite possibly as sentient as unicorns, but they are incredibly reclusive, so it is difficult to confirm.”

“No matter the age or degree of sentience, they are very instinctual creatures,” Ronan added.  “That will certainly serve you.”

“Indeed,” Firenze agreed.  He cast his eyes heavenward and sighed dolefully.  “It is as we suspected.  The moon is too bright tonight.  It shall outshine Mars.”

Jack looked up and then at Ianto, who shook his head, indicating it would be best not to ask. 

“It only just rose,” Ronan added, also casting his eyes heavenward.  “Perhaps as the moon sets…”

“We’ll leave you to it, then,” Ianto said, clasping Jack’s hand and bidding the centaurs farewell.  Firenze and Ronan were friendly enough with their goodbyes; Bane merely glared.

They were on the path – vague though it might be – that Ianto had followed on his run towards the clearing.

“He seemed nice,” Jack said, clearly referring to Bane.

“Hush,” Ianto grinned.  He still had Jack’s hand in his, and he enjoyed walking hand-in-hand with his lover for a few moments before relinquishing his hold.  He was surprised when Jack tightened his grip and didn’t let go.  He smiled again, this time more shyly.

“So you think they really didn’t see us?” Jack asked.

“I don’t think they’d be fussed about it if they did, so no point in assuring us they hadn’t if they had.”

Jack tried to parse that out and turned to smile at his lover, who seemed to be holding up well, despite his exertions.  He was, perhaps, a bit less articulate than usual, but he looked energized rather than drained.  Of course, that could be down to the moonlight pouring down on them.  He could still feel the energy of that along their bond, and he knew his lover would likely pounce on him again before sleeping.

And he was completely okay with that.

“What are you grinning at?” Ianto asked.

Jack stopped and pulled Ianto into his arms, kissing him long and slow and deep.  When he pulled back, the younger man looked a bit punch-drunk, but he grinned at Jack and gave him a quick buss before taking off running, leaving Jack no choice but to follow.

They only slowed once they cleared the forest and were almost to the castle.  Jack reached out and caught Ianto around the waist, swinging him around.  They were both breathless with laughter as they ascended the steps, and they were still laughing as they kissed, stumbling through the main doors.

Ianto stopped long enough to secure the door, then grabbed Jack by the lapels of his greatcoat and pulled him close before snaking his arms inside the coat and wrapping them around Jack.  Savoring the sensation of their bare chests pressed together, Ianto kissed Jack and rocked his hips forward, causing Jack to suck in a breath.  Ianto didn’t notice as Jack went still, kissing his way along his lover’s jaw to whisper something filthy and promising into his ear.

Jack patted Ianto’s shoulder blade to get his attention just as Professor McGonagall cleared her throat behind them and up the steps.  By the time Ianto leaned away from Jack, his ears were pink, and that gorgeous blush had made its way all the way down to his sternum.  Jack kept a hand at Ianto’s lower back and tucked him against his hip, turning and flipping his coat so he and the younger man could face the headmistress without exposing their arousal to her.

She was fully aware what they were attempting to hide, but what she could see was telling.  Grass in their hair, love bites along Ianto’s neck and collarbone, scratches on his back, and a bruising bite mark on Jack’s chest peeking out from where the coat gapped open over his chest as he attempted to use its lower folds to cover his nether regions. 

Full moon, indeed.

“Professor,” Ianto said, pulling on his most neutral mask and pretending he hadn’t just asked his lover to fuck him within her possible hearing.

“Mr. Jones,” she said, keeping her voice stern.  She had a reputation to maintain, after all.  “I see we were correct in speculating that the unicorn blood might make you… restless during the full moon.  Perhaps it would be best to forego our morning session, so you can sleep.”

“That would be helpful, thank you,” Ianto nodded.  “I’m sorry if we weren’t meant to leave the castle.”

“You are no longer a student, Mr. Jones,” she said, allowing her voice to soften.  His obvious joy in his lover and subsequent embarrassment had been sweet and amusing, but his uncertainty and fear of making a misstep sparked her compassion.  “You are not required to stay in the castle.  However, I would request that you light the candle on the table by the entrance,” she nodded in that direction, “so Mr. Filch knows not to bolt the doors.”

“Ma’am,” Ianto nodded.

“Go on, then,” she couldn’t suppress her smile.  “We’ll see you at luncheon.”

“Thank you,” Ianto said, grabbing Jack’s hand and walking swiftly towards the guest wing.  “Goodnight!”

“Goodnight,” Jack smiled over his shoulder at her as Ianto dragged him along.  He was fully aware that she had seen far more than Ianto realized.

“Goodnight,” she called after them, chuckling as she made her way back to her rooms.  Oh, to be young and in love.  She giggled, remembering that Jack was far older than even her, and amended the thought.

Oh, to be in love…

She poured a dram of port and toasted the picture of her dear Elphinstone and indulged a few memories of the heady days of her own young love.

***

Jack burst into laughter as soon as Ianto closed the door to their rooms.  Ianto sat down and unlaced his boots, trying to stop the blushing.  Once his boots were set aside, he pulled his wand from the pocket of his pyjamas and muttered, “Muffliato,” his blush deepening as Jack grinned widely at him.  Unsurprisingly, the older man had kicked off his boots and divested himself of his track pants in the time it took Ianto to take off his own boots.

“C’mere,” Jack husked, pulling Ianto close and kissing him deeply.  “Do you have any idea how gorgeous you are when you blush?”  He didn’t let Ianto answer, knowing it would be a denial and not wanting to hear it.  He kissed Ianto again, his hands wandering down and into the waistband of the pyjamas, grasping a double-handful of gorgeous Welsh arse and giving it an affectionate squeeze. 

“Let’s get those off you,” he murmured, tugging the pyjamas down before pushing Ianto onto the bed.  He crawled between Ianto’s legs and knelt there, looking down at his lover with a wicked grin.  “Now.  I believe you said something about me ploughing you into this mattress.  Or did I mistake your meaning?”

Jack’s mouth went dry as his eyes raked over Ianto.  Yes, he was scarred, and he was, at the moment, far too thin; but he was well-constructed just the same, and he was looking up at Jack with a filthy grin as he gave his cock a few languid pulls, knowing Jack was watching him closely.

“You understood my meaning perfectly, except I was rather hoping you’d have been getting on with it, by now.”  He reached his arms above his head and stretched.  “Unless you’re too tired.”

“I’ll show you tired, you cheeky brat,” Jack growled, diving in to kiss Ianto’s laughing lips.

During the next hour, Jack took great pains to reduce Ianto to a babbling puddle of Welsh curses and wanton cries of lust and pleasure.  Feeling Ianto fall apart around him sent Jack over the edge as well, roaring his release even as a small part of his mind hoped the spell had held.

Much as he enjoyed Ianto’s blushes, he did prefer to hoard them and keep them to himself.

He managed to shuffle Ianto into the shower before pulling him, warm and sleepy, back into the bed, already half-drowsing.

“Happy birthday, my love,” Jack whispered into Ianto’s hair, and he felt the younger man jolt.  He let Ianto turn just enough to look into his face.  “July 30^th, right?  Susan told me a few weeks ago, while you were still at St. Mungo’s.”

Ianto’s continued silence made him feel as though he had said the wrong thing, so he kept speaking.  “We can fix your records, if you want to change it back.  Or we can forget today and keep your birthday in August.”

“I…” Ianto cleared his throat, but his eyes were shining.  “I think I’d like to change it back.”

“I’ll let Tosh know,” Jack said, kissing Ianto tenderly.  “Just remember: whatever you want.  Always.  You get to choose.  I know you prefer being Ianto now, but you also get to choose whatever parts of Neville you’d like to keep.”

“Thank you, Jack,” Ianto murmured, leaning in for another slow, sleepy kiss.

Jack gathered him close and watched lovingly as his beautiful wizard finally released the last of the full moon’s restlessness and allowed sleep to claim him.

***