Ficlet One
When he sleeps, Jack sleeps so deeply that for many minutes after waking he’s certain of very little. One thing that is certain is that he sleeps more, far more, now that he’s not alone in the narrow bed.
The first thing he’s aware of is the quiet. Not silence, exactly, but quiet enough for the lack of sound to be noticeable even in a half-asleep state.
The warmth comes to his attention next, and with it, awareness of the heat of the body next to his. Ianto’s still fast asleep, and Jack doesn’t blame him - not after what they got up to the night before. He smiles down at the face resting on his chest, remembering.
He’s comfortable … so comfortable. He feels like he could lie here all day, just enjoying the quiet and the warmth, and watching Ianto sleep. And, of course, if Ianto should wake up … well, that would be no reason to get up, would it?
He wraps his arms around Ianto’s bare shoulders and settles down for a little longer, and …
BRRRRRRING!
He shoots bolt upright, toppling Ianto roughly to one side, still dozy enough to wonder what the hell that sound is, and what Rift-related disaster it signifies. Ianto, however, reached over to his side of the bed, silencing the dreadful noise, before yawning sleepily and pulling Jack down next to him.
“Morning …”
Wide awake now, Jack stared down at Ianto. “Morning? What the hell was that?”
“Alarm clock,” Ianto murmured, still sleepy, waving his arm in that direction. “But we can have five more minutes.”
Jack’s gaze followed Ianto’s fingers and finally spotted the noisy offender: an old-fashioned alarm clock; black, with a round face, and two dome-shaped bells on top. He hasn’t seen one like that in many years. But of course that’s the alarm clock Ianto would have. What else?
“Why did you set an alarm clock?”
Apparently realising his snooze was not to be, Ianto sat up slightly, rubbing his eyes. “I set it every night.”
“I never heard it before.”
“I usually wake up before it goes off, and switch if off. But I was especially tired this morning. Tired out, you might say.” He grins at Jack, a wicked grin that sends tingles through Jack’s entire body.
Undeterred, Jack asks, “But why do you need an alarm clock?”
Ianto raises his eyebrows. To make sure we’re up - and decent - before everyone else gets here, of course.
“Oh.” Mystery solved, Jack’s mind goes back a few moments. “So, you don’t by any chance have a list of games involving alarm clocks, do you?” He leans over Ianto and kisses him, hard, and Ianto abandons any hope of distracting him.
They’re both too preoccupied to notice the quiet has lessened somewhat. Then a voice neither of them wants to hear right now shatters the moment. “Ianto? Ianto!”
Ianto sits bolt upright. “Oh, my G- … Owen! We’re late?”
“Ianto! It’s pissing down with rain, the buses are on strike, I’m having a bloody awful morning - where’s my coffee?”
Jack whispers in his ear. “Does he know you’re here?”
Unconsciously, Ianto pulls the sheets up to his chin. “Don’t think so.”
“Jack? Jack!”
Irritation mounting, Jack bellows back, “What?”
“Let the poor bloke out of your bed for ten minutes so he can come and make my coffee!”
Jack’s eyes meet Ianto’s for a split second before he starts to laugh. Ianto appears to be finding it less funny and pulls the sheets right up over his head.
“Right, he’s coming.” Jack calls, putting all the emphasis on the last word, and immediately hearing the expected snort of disgust from above.
“And make sure he puts some clothes on, would you? I just ate a full English breakfast and I don’t want to see it again!”
Ianto gives a muffled shriek of horror into the covers, and Jack finally gets up and begins the hunt for their clothes.