Fic: The Sea After a Storm (96/?)
Title: The Sea After a Storm, Chapter 96
Rating: R
Warnings: None really, just don't feel like changing the rating
Spoilers: Season Two thru A Day in the Death (2x08)
Pairings: Jack/Ianto
Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. No infringement, only worship intended!
Summary: In which the New Year's celebration begins...
Notes: Happy New Year everyone! Here's to a great 2017! :) You can find all the previous chapters of The Sea After a Storm here. This is a sequel to Vizzini’s Rule and To The Pain. Thanks again and forever to my amazing beta and wonderful friend
thraceadams for all the help and support and beta work; any mistakes are mine!
The Sea After a Storm: Chapter Ninety-Six
Previously on The Sea After a Storm: Jack and Ianto finally made up!
Jack and Ianto strolled through London hand in hand as if they were the only two people in the world. Ianto knew they still had some serious things to discuss, but it seemed that both of them were more interested in enjoying being together again than anything else at the moment. By the time they reached the Bloomsbury Square Gardens, it had started to snow again, big fat flakes like something out of a storybook. Jack steered them off the street, diverting them to the path through the gardens. The hush of the snow falling on the trees made the night seem even more magical.
They passed the British Museum, its stately entrance glowing in the darkness as they walked by on Great Russell Street, also passing several different hotels, but Jack kept moving on. He glanced at his wriststrap when they got to Charing Cross Road and nodded as if he'd made a decision.
"C'mon," he said, directing Ianto down the street to the tube station at Tottenham Court Road. They caught the Central Line to the next station and five minutes later they were hurrying up Regent Street.
When Jack turned at the entrance to the Langham Hotel, Ianto stopped in his tracks.
"Here?" he asked in disbelief.
"Why not?" Jack said, tugging on Ianto's hand. "I've been staying here for years."
"Why not? It's The Langham! You can't walk into a five star hotel with no bags and no reservation. The rooms here are £300 a night and they're likely all booked!"
"I'm sure you're right, the rooms are probably all booked, but I'll wager they have a suite or two to let. Let's find out," he added with a grin.
They were greeted politely by the doorman who was dressed in full morning-coat with a top hat and then proceeded through the marble foyer to the reception desk.
"So when you say you're been staying here for years," Ianto murmured quietly, "do you mean...?"
"Let's just say I had drinks with Oscar Wilde here on more than one occasion," Jack said with a wink, turning a brilliant smile on the woman at reception.
Ianto shook his head in amusement and stepped back to let Jack work his magic, taking a moment to look around at the luxurious yet understated furnishings. When the Concierge at the desk in the next room, who was looking altogether too perky for the lateness of the evening, asked Ianto if he could be of assistance, he had to resist the urge to put his hands behind his back like a child who'd been warned not to touch anything.
"No, thank you," Ianto said quickly. "Just waiting for my friend."
"Excellent, please let me know if you need anything."
"Ianto!" Jack called. He stuck his head through the wide doorway and brandished two key cards triumphantly.
Ianto gave a polite smile to the Concierge and followed Jack to the lift. When Jack pressed the button for the 9th floor, Ianto raised an eyebrow at him.
"Top floor?"
"Almost," Jack said with a grin, pointing to the button labelled PH. "Even I couldn't justify £25,000 for the penthouse suite."
"For one night?" Ianto asked, aghast.
"Well, it does come with its own butler." Jack winked. "Our suite is much more reasonable," he said, leading Ianto down the hall. He opened their door and ushered Ianto inside. "See? It's almost like being home."
Ianto took in the hardwood floor set in a delicate herringbone pattern at his feet, walked a few steps to the left to glance at the well-appointed lounge, and then crossed back to open door on the right, looking in on a bedroom furnished with a writing desk, an arm chair and a king sized bed. Lastly, he pushed open the door straight across from the entry to reveal a spacious marble bathroom with an enormous claw-foot tub under a window that overlooked the whole city, and rolled his eyes at Jack.
"Oh, yes, just like being at the Hub," he said dryly.
Jack laughed. "Well, I was actually thinking of your flat, so the comparison wasn't quite so absurd." He stepped close to Ianto and said in a warm whisper, "I stopped thinking of the Hub as home months ago. Home is wherever you are."
He touched Ianto's cheek softly and then moved towards the lounge, shrugging out of his coat and tossing it carelessly over the desk as he headed for the sofa. Ianto followed suit, dropping his coat on top of Jack's, but instead of joining Jack, he stopped to pull open the drapes and look out the window.
"I think we'll be able to see the fireworks from here," he noted.
"We will. I made sure we're facing the right direction," Jack said smugly.
Ianto turned and regarded Jack with an indulgent smile. "You're feeling very proud of yourself, aren't you?" he teased.
Jack grinned widely but then his smile faded a little. "I have a lot to make up for," he said, serious again.
Ianto took a seat next to Jack on sofa. "I don't think you do. I think we should just start again with a clean slate," Ianto said. "No bringing up disagreements to use against each other, no big gestures trying to make up for the past. Let's just agree to start fresh."
Jack slid his hand over the blue velvet of the cushion, fingers up-turned in a wordless request which Ianto answered by grasping Jack's hand in his own.
"Deal," Jack whispered softly. Then he surprised Ianto by shifting suddenly and pulling on his hand, sending Ianto sprawling across his now supine body. "Seal it with a kiss?" He grinned, his hands stroking over Ianto's back.
"Twpsyn," Ianto murmured before lowering his mouth to Jack's. The kiss was light and tentative at first, just a soft touching of lips as they rediscovered each other after the weeks apart.
Jack languorously traced Ianto's bottom lip with his tongue, his hand slipping under Ianto's t-shirt to rest on the skin of his lower back. Ianto caught Jack's scent, so close again after so long and he moaned quietly.
That small sound was enough to electrify Jack. His arms tightened around Ianto and his mouth opened, drawing Ianto deeper into the kiss. Suddenly there were too many clothes and too much space between them. Ianto found himself trying to undo Jack's buttons while Jack hampered his efforts by tugging on his t-shirt, neither of them willing to pull back or break the now desperate kiss. They were still flailing on the sofa when a knock on the door interrupted their efforts.
They froze. Ianto looked at Jack.
"No one knows we're here," he whispered.
Jack shook his head in agreement and then his frown smoothed into an understanding smile. "Room service," he said, giving Ianto a quick kiss.
Ianto scrambled off the sofa and hurriedly pulled his shirt down while Jack walked towards the door after merely running a hand through his tousled hair. Ianto had a sudden thought and pulled his mobile out of his pocket, dashing off a quick text to Jamie:
With Jack, won't be back tonight. All is good.
Jamie replied a few seconds later with a succinct smiley face.
Ianto set his phone to silent and put it in the pocket of his coat. He could hear muted conversation as Jack chatted easily with the waiter, the voices growing clearer as they moved into the lounge.
"Shall I open the champagne, sir?"
Jack glanced at his wriststrap and nodded. "Why not?"
The waiter popped the champagne and expertly filled the two flutes before bowing out of the room and leaving them alone again. Jack lifted the covers off the plates and set them on the coffee table where they'd be within easy reach, and then snagged the glasses of champagne and rejoined Ianto on the sofa. Jack handed Ianto his wine and then tinked the glasses together.
"To starting fresh," he said softly.
"Iechyd da," Ianto replied before taking a drink. He leant closer and gave Jack a gentle kiss. "So what do we have here?" he asked, distracting himself by looking over the plates.
"Sweet and savoury," Jack said. "I wasn't sure how hungry you were, so I got us a selection of the small plates and desserts. Personally, I think we should start with the ice cream before it melts," he said firmly, handing Ianto a spoon.
"Brilliant," Ianto said, clinking their spoons together much as they'd just done with the wine glasses.
They worked their way through the snacks - the salted caramel chocolate brownies were unanimously declared the best dish of the night - and most of the bottle of champagne while they waited for midnight. The urgency that had them tearing at each other's clothes had mellowed slightly to a constant low hum of desire that smouldered beneath their banal conversation. Jack caught Ianto up on the goings-on at the hub he'd missed. Other than one spectacular meltdown from Gwen when the florist had accidently cancelled her order, nothing much had happened in the week he'd been gone. Ianto asked about the Titanic sighting, but Jack didn't have much information other than confirmation that the Doctor had been involved and saved the day as usual.
"Do you ever think about travelling with him again?" Ianto asked, turning the biscuit he was holding over and over with nervous fingers.
Jack shook his head decisively. "No. I've never regretted staying. My place is here, with you... as long as you'll have me."
Jack glanced at his watch and let out a surprised exclamation. He leapt up and poured the very last of the champagne, motioning for Ianto to join him at the window. As Big Ben began to toll midnight, they sipped their wine and watched the London sky explode with celebrations, their arms twined about each other's waists.
"Happy New Year, Ianto," Jack said softly, clinking his glass against Ianto's again and giving him a soft kiss.
"Happy New Year, Jack."
TBC...
*Twpsyn - idiot
*Iechyd da - cheers
If anyone wants to see the boys' room at The Langham, this is a link to the One Bedroom Suite - the actual suite I used when writing this has apparently been remodeled. *sigh* While you're there, check out the 4844 ft² Sterling Suite that Jack mentioned - he didn't exaggerate on the price!
. This entry was originally posted at http://buttononthetop.dreamwidth.org/122285.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
Rating: R
Warnings: None really, just don't feel like changing the rating
Spoilers: Season Two thru A Day in the Death (2x08)
Pairings: Jack/Ianto
Disclaimer: Torchwood, Doctor Who and all their wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. No infringement, only worship intended!
Summary: In which the New Year's celebration begins...
Notes: Happy New Year everyone! Here's to a great 2017! :) You can find all the previous chapters of The Sea After a Storm here. This is a sequel to Vizzini’s Rule and To The Pain. Thanks again and forever to my amazing beta and wonderful friend
thraceadams for all the help and support and beta work; any mistakes are mine!
The Sea After a Storm: Chapter Ninety-Six
Previously on The Sea After a Storm: Jack and Ianto finally made up!
Jack and Ianto strolled through London hand in hand as if they were the only two people in the world. Ianto knew they still had some serious things to discuss, but it seemed that both of them were more interested in enjoying being together again than anything else at the moment. By the time they reached the Bloomsbury Square Gardens, it had started to snow again, big fat flakes like something out of a storybook. Jack steered them off the street, diverting them to the path through the gardens. The hush of the snow falling on the trees made the night seem even more magical.
They passed the British Museum, its stately entrance glowing in the darkness as they walked by on Great Russell Street, also passing several different hotels, but Jack kept moving on. He glanced at his wriststrap when they got to Charing Cross Road and nodded as if he'd made a decision.
"C'mon," he said, directing Ianto down the street to the tube station at Tottenham Court Road. They caught the Central Line to the next station and five minutes later they were hurrying up Regent Street.
When Jack turned at the entrance to the Langham Hotel, Ianto stopped in his tracks.
"Here?" he asked in disbelief.
"Why not?" Jack said, tugging on Ianto's hand. "I've been staying here for years."
"Why not? It's The Langham! You can't walk into a five star hotel with no bags and no reservation. The rooms here are £300 a night and they're likely all booked!"
"I'm sure you're right, the rooms are probably all booked, but I'll wager they have a suite or two to let. Let's find out," he added with a grin.
They were greeted politely by the doorman who was dressed in full morning-coat with a top hat and then proceeded through the marble foyer to the reception desk.
"So when you say you're been staying here for years," Ianto murmured quietly, "do you mean...?"
"Let's just say I had drinks with Oscar Wilde here on more than one occasion," Jack said with a wink, turning a brilliant smile on the woman at reception.
Ianto shook his head in amusement and stepped back to let Jack work his magic, taking a moment to look around at the luxurious yet understated furnishings. When the Concierge at the desk in the next room, who was looking altogether too perky for the lateness of the evening, asked Ianto if he could be of assistance, he had to resist the urge to put his hands behind his back like a child who'd been warned not to touch anything.
"No, thank you," Ianto said quickly. "Just waiting for my friend."
"Excellent, please let me know if you need anything."
"Ianto!" Jack called. He stuck his head through the wide doorway and brandished two key cards triumphantly.
Ianto gave a polite smile to the Concierge and followed Jack to the lift. When Jack pressed the button for the 9th floor, Ianto raised an eyebrow at him.
"Top floor?"
"Almost," Jack said with a grin, pointing to the button labelled PH. "Even I couldn't justify £25,000 for the penthouse suite."
"For one night?" Ianto asked, aghast.
"Well, it does come with its own butler." Jack winked. "Our suite is much more reasonable," he said, leading Ianto down the hall. He opened their door and ushered Ianto inside. "See? It's almost like being home."
Ianto took in the hardwood floor set in a delicate herringbone pattern at his feet, walked a few steps to the left to glance at the well-appointed lounge, and then crossed back to open door on the right, looking in on a bedroom furnished with a writing desk, an arm chair and a king sized bed. Lastly, he pushed open the door straight across from the entry to reveal a spacious marble bathroom with an enormous claw-foot tub under a window that overlooked the whole city, and rolled his eyes at Jack.
"Oh, yes, just like being at the Hub," he said dryly.
Jack laughed. "Well, I was actually thinking of your flat, so the comparison wasn't quite so absurd." He stepped close to Ianto and said in a warm whisper, "I stopped thinking of the Hub as home months ago. Home is wherever you are."
He touched Ianto's cheek softly and then moved towards the lounge, shrugging out of his coat and tossing it carelessly over the desk as he headed for the sofa. Ianto followed suit, dropping his coat on top of Jack's, but instead of joining Jack, he stopped to pull open the drapes and look out the window.
"I think we'll be able to see the fireworks from here," he noted.
"We will. I made sure we're facing the right direction," Jack said smugly.
Ianto turned and regarded Jack with an indulgent smile. "You're feeling very proud of yourself, aren't you?" he teased.
Jack grinned widely but then his smile faded a little. "I have a lot to make up for," he said, serious again.
Ianto took a seat next to Jack on sofa. "I don't think you do. I think we should just start again with a clean slate," Ianto said. "No bringing up disagreements to use against each other, no big gestures trying to make up for the past. Let's just agree to start fresh."
Jack slid his hand over the blue velvet of the cushion, fingers up-turned in a wordless request which Ianto answered by grasping Jack's hand in his own.
"Deal," Jack whispered softly. Then he surprised Ianto by shifting suddenly and pulling on his hand, sending Ianto sprawling across his now supine body. "Seal it with a kiss?" He grinned, his hands stroking over Ianto's back.
"Twpsyn," Ianto murmured before lowering his mouth to Jack's. The kiss was light and tentative at first, just a soft touching of lips as they rediscovered each other after the weeks apart.
Jack languorously traced Ianto's bottom lip with his tongue, his hand slipping under Ianto's t-shirt to rest on the skin of his lower back. Ianto caught Jack's scent, so close again after so long and he moaned quietly.
That small sound was enough to electrify Jack. His arms tightened around Ianto and his mouth opened, drawing Ianto deeper into the kiss. Suddenly there were too many clothes and too much space between them. Ianto found himself trying to undo Jack's buttons while Jack hampered his efforts by tugging on his t-shirt, neither of them willing to pull back or break the now desperate kiss. They were still flailing on the sofa when a knock on the door interrupted their efforts.
They froze. Ianto looked at Jack.
"No one knows we're here," he whispered.
Jack shook his head in agreement and then his frown smoothed into an understanding smile. "Room service," he said, giving Ianto a quick kiss.
Ianto scrambled off the sofa and hurriedly pulled his shirt down while Jack walked towards the door after merely running a hand through his tousled hair. Ianto had a sudden thought and pulled his mobile out of his pocket, dashing off a quick text to Jamie:
With Jack, won't be back tonight. All is good.
Jamie replied a few seconds later with a succinct smiley face.
Ianto set his phone to silent and put it in the pocket of his coat. He could hear muted conversation as Jack chatted easily with the waiter, the voices growing clearer as they moved into the lounge.
"Shall I open the champagne, sir?"
Jack glanced at his wriststrap and nodded. "Why not?"
The waiter popped the champagne and expertly filled the two flutes before bowing out of the room and leaving them alone again. Jack lifted the covers off the plates and set them on the coffee table where they'd be within easy reach, and then snagged the glasses of champagne and rejoined Ianto on the sofa. Jack handed Ianto his wine and then tinked the glasses together.
"To starting fresh," he said softly.
"Iechyd da," Ianto replied before taking a drink. He leant closer and gave Jack a gentle kiss. "So what do we have here?" he asked, distracting himself by looking over the plates.
"Sweet and savoury," Jack said. "I wasn't sure how hungry you were, so I got us a selection of the small plates and desserts. Personally, I think we should start with the ice cream before it melts," he said firmly, handing Ianto a spoon.
"Brilliant," Ianto said, clinking their spoons together much as they'd just done with the wine glasses.
They worked their way through the snacks - the salted caramel chocolate brownies were unanimously declared the best dish of the night - and most of the bottle of champagne while they waited for midnight. The urgency that had them tearing at each other's clothes had mellowed slightly to a constant low hum of desire that smouldered beneath their banal conversation. Jack caught Ianto up on the goings-on at the hub he'd missed. Other than one spectacular meltdown from Gwen when the florist had accidently cancelled her order, nothing much had happened in the week he'd been gone. Ianto asked about the Titanic sighting, but Jack didn't have much information other than confirmation that the Doctor had been involved and saved the day as usual.
"Do you ever think about travelling with him again?" Ianto asked, turning the biscuit he was holding over and over with nervous fingers.
Jack shook his head decisively. "No. I've never regretted staying. My place is here, with you... as long as you'll have me."
Jack glanced at his watch and let out a surprised exclamation. He leapt up and poured the very last of the champagne, motioning for Ianto to join him at the window. As Big Ben began to toll midnight, they sipped their wine and watched the London sky explode with celebrations, their arms twined about each other's waists.
"Happy New Year, Ianto," Jack said softly, clinking his glass against Ianto's again and giving him a soft kiss.
"Happy New Year, Jack."
TBC...
*Twpsyn - idiot
*Iechyd da - cheers
If anyone wants to see the boys' room at The Langham, this is a link to the One Bedroom Suite - the actual suite I used when writing this has apparently been remodeled. *sigh* While you're there, check out the 4844 ft² Sterling Suite that Jack mentioned - he didn't exaggerate on the price!
. This entry was originally posted at http://buttononthetop.dreamwidth.org/122285.html. Please comment there using OpenID.