Amser A Ddengys: Croeso Nôl (3/5)
Please see Part One for header and disclaimer
*~*~*~*~*~*
Jack had quite an entertaining afternoon, wandering around the vast grounds of the museum. The buildings were a little low for someone of his height, leading him to conclude that the Welsh must have been shorter during the last few centuries than they were now.
He did regret sticking his head in the door of the replica of an old mud-hut from prehistoric times, since he got a lungful of smoke from the open fire inside.
An hour and a half later, he made his way back to the main building to see the displays inside and locate Ianto. He found him in amongst displays of saucepans and various other cooking utensils, engrossed in a conversation with a pair of Norwegian tourists.
When they departed, he sneaked up behind Ianto and murmured in his ear. "Do they have examples of ancient coffee grinders in this place?"
Ianto jumped slightly, whirling around with a started expression on his face. "Jack! Don't do that - you nearly scared the life out of me!"
Jack shrugged, nonchalant. He kept his hands in his trouser pockets to keep from reaching for the Welshman, "I have plenty to spare."
"And I bet your Mam taught you about sharing. I'm done in twenty minutes - think you can keep yourself entertained till then? Without causing me to lose my job," Ianto added at the smirk on Jack's face.
Jack rewarded that with the universal 'Rats!' finger-snap , and they grinned at each other.
"Fine, okay," Jack said. "But I'm taking you out for dinner when you're finished, yeah?"
"I'd be a fool to pass up an offer of a free meal."
*~*~*~*~*~*
Jack waited quietly for Ianto, glancing around the various exhibits in the large room. It was kind of fascinating, in its own way, and there were several items that sent him on brief trips down memory lane. It amused him that despite being born and raised in the 51st Century, he was undeniably drawn to the 20th and its simple charms.
Though the 21st Century certainly had its appeal, he mused, as he watched Ianto prepare to finish his shift. There was still a few more hours left before the museum closed, so he had to wait for his replacement before he could leave.
A man about ten years Ianto's senior came to relieve him of his post just as the display of old clocks began to chime the hour. The two of them chatted to each other in Welsh for a moment, presumably discussing work-related matters, before shaking hands and saying their farewells. Ianto made his way over to Jack, a small smile on his face.
"I'm just heading to the staff area to grab my coat, Jack," He said, "Give me five minutes and I'll meet you in the lobby, okay?"
Jack nodded, beaming happily, "I'll be waiting."
He watched Ianto leave the room, so distracted that he failed to notice the older museum employee approach.
"So you're the boyfriend, are you?"
Jack turned to stare at the man, "Excuse me?"
"You're Ianto's boyfriend, right? He said he had a date tonight, and I guessed it was with you from the way you just interacted." He held his hand out, "The name's Simon."
"Jack," He returned the handshake, "He said he had a date?" The idea that Ianto would be so open, even in a rarely-spoken language, thrilled Jack no end.
Simon nodded, "He said you were back in town and he hadn't seen you in a long time. Better take him somewhere nice then!" the man grinned at him.
Jack chuckled, "I'll leave the choice up to him. He's probably waiting in the lobby already."
"Always one for punctuality, that one. Nice meeting you, Jack!"
Jack hurried out to the lobby as fast as he dared, spying Ianto waiting for him by the reception desk. "Are you ready to go?" he asked
"I have been for the last three minutes," Ianto smirked, his eyes twinkling. Jack grinned ruefully,
"Your colleague wanted to say hello." He told him as they made their way out into the sunny carpark, "Told me to take you somewhere nice on our date."
Ianto actually blushed a little at that, "Oh did he. I'll have to have words with him next time I see him." He looked around, "How did you get here? Did you drive the SUV?"
Jack shook his head, "No, I came over by bus. Assumed you'd have your car with you."
Ianto looked shocked, "Captain Jack Harkness took the bus? All the way out here? Now I know the world's ending."
Jack rolled his eyes, "I used them all time before cars became commonplace. One of these days I'm going to have to get a car of my own - I was so rarely any distance away from the Hub unless on Torchwood business that the SUV was all I needed. Anywhere else I wanted to go to was within walking distance."
Ianto nodded, reaching in his pocket for his keys, "I'm parked near the security hut at the main gates. Anywhere specific you want to go?"
"Hey, this is your evening. You get to decide."
In the end, Ianto dropped Jack outside a Chinese takeaway on Albany Road, Roath, with instructions what to order for him, before making his own way to the Blockbuster down the street. Ianto's new home was only a few blocks away, overlooking the Roath flower gardens; Jack whistled appreciatively when they arrived.
"How did you manage to afford this place?" he asked, staring up at the three-storey terraced house.
"Good luck." Ianto chuckled. "I sold the flat in London when I moved back to Cardiff, to buy that flat down the Bay. When I left Torchwood, I had Tosh sell it for me so I could relocate somewhere else as part of my retcon-created new life. She got a good price for it, and I had a fair amount of savings since I pretty much lived at work back then, so I was able to afford this place. It's not as big as it looks, though."
He unlocked the door with a flourish and gestured for Jack to enter. The hallway was long and beautifully tiled, with a staircase leading upstairs directly adjacent to the front door. Ianto lead Jack down the hall to a fairly small but well appointed kitchen with lots of pinewood cupboards. It was spotlessly clean, as Jack had expected, but there was an eclectic, relaxed feel to the room that kept it from feeling sterile; the complete opposite to the almost show-home style, modern steel and marble kitchen in Ianto's previous apartment.
"I like the place already," he said, placing the bag of takeout on a table under the large window, "It has character."
Ianto beamed at him proudly, reaching into a cupboard for some plates, "That's what I thought when I first saw it. I'd always liked these houses anyway, whenever we'd driven through, so I jumped at the chance to actually buy one now I no longer need to be so close to the Bay."
"I would have thought you'd have bought a little cottage in St Fagans." Jack admitted, but Ianto shook his head.
"I'm quite happy to commute the short distance. I'd feel isolated out there." Spooning rice onto the plates, he nodded at a cupboard to his left, "Glasses are up there, would you mind getting some down for us?"
"We're not just eating out of the cartons while we watch the movie?" Jack joked, pouring them a glass of cola each and taking a sip of his, "What film did you rent, anyway?"
Ianto continued to dish up, not meeting his gaze, "Brokeback Mountain."
Jack choked, spluttering noisily, "What?"
Ianto laughed, "Sorry, I couldn't resist! Iesu, you should see your face. What I wouldn't give for a camera right now."
The older man grumbled for a while, wiping his mouth with his sleeve, "Seriously, what did you rent?"
Ianto continued to smile enigmatically as he wiped the spilled cola from the counter with a tea-towel. "It's the new Ninja Turtles movie." He finally admitted, much to Jack's relief. Though Jack couldn't help laughing at his choice of movie.
"You picked a kids film?"
"Hey! You liked the show just as much as I did - you admitted it once during one of Gwen's team boozing sessions." Ianto pointed out, "It's just that I actually was a kid when it originally aired. You haven't that excuse."
"Ouch!" Jack mock-winced, "Just tell me it's better than the last Turtle movie?"
Ianto nodded, "Apparently it's very good. Some of the guys at the museum were raving about it."
*~*~*~*~*~*
Once the food was eaten - and the dishes cleared away in the dishwasher - Ianto gave Jack a tour of his new house.
None of the rooms were particularly big, but they displayed the same sense of character as Ianto's eclectic kitchen.
"This is the parlour." He said, leading Jack into the front-most room. It was fairly sparse, with a sofa and two chairs positioned around an impressive looking fireplace. There was a large bay window, giving a nice view of the park over the road.
"The parlour?" Jack echoed, his tone teasing, "I haven't heard anyone refer to the living room as that for a couple of decades!"
He looked around, taking in the tasteful artwork above the sideboard and wondering where the television was. There wasn't even one of those hide-away TV cupboards people sometimes used.
Ianto chuckled, "This isn't my living room, Jack. This is for if I have visitors," He beckoned for the other man to follow, and lead the way into a smaller room next door. "This is my living room."
Ah yes, this made more sense. This room had one large, comfy-looking sofa - that Jack remembered from the old apartment - facing a decent-sized television. There was a music system to one side, and the walls were hidden behind bookcases full of books, videos and DVDs. The room had a warm, welcoming feel to it that made Jack smile.
"Nice," he commented, "I can tell you've spent many happy hours relaxing in here."
"Well, I try to," Ianto shrugged, "I do at least have time to catch up on all the books and films I missed while I worked for Torchwood."
"Hence the membership at Blockbuster."
"Exactly. Never had the time before."
Ianto then led Jack upstairs and showed him where the bathroom was, and the guest bedroom.
"That's my room," He pointed at the closed door of the room at the front of the house, "And my study is upstairs. Come see."
Jack considered pouting at not being shown the bedroom, but it wasn't a great surprise really. He followed Ianto up one last flight of stairs to a large attic-type room on the top floor. Along with a practical looking desk with a computer, there were bookcases on almost every wall - this time filled with books on every topic Jack could ever imagine Ianto reading, and then some. Jack chuckled, picking up a book on card tricks and wondering if anyone else knew just how eclectic and multi-faceted Ianto truly was.
"I gotta say, I'm impressed. You've made a wonderful home for yourself here." ‘Without me', of course, went unspoken.
Ianto almost glowed with pride, "Thanks. I'm glad you like it. Not many people have visited so far."
"No house-warming party?" Jack pretended to be shocked, "Afraid your friends from the museum would trash the place?"
Ianto chuckled, "The younger ones might." He shook his head, "It's just never happened. Wouldn't feel right without…" He trailed off, a sad expression on his face. Jack reached out and squeezed his shoulder.
"Tosh will be able to come visit now I'm back." He promised.
Ianto's expression brightened, and Jack reflected that they must have grown pretty close over the months since he'd left with the Doctor. It made him a little jealous, but overall he was glad Ianto hadn't been entirely alone.
"Right-o!" Ianto took a deep breath, bringing the tour to a close, "We have a movie to watch."
"Hope you have some popcorn."
*~*~*~*~*
"Woah - did you see that!" Jack blinked
Ianto nodded, staring at the screen as the movie's immortal bad guy rose from the dead, "That looks just like when you come back to life again." His mouth quirked up into a grin as he turned to look at Jack, "Do we have to check through the production credits for an old flame of yours?"
The older man laughed, "Doubtful. But you never know - someone might have fictionalised me at some point over the years, only to later inspire that bit of the movie."
"Just don't tell me there actually are giant hybrid turtles roaming the sewers of New York."
"Well…." Jack started to waggle his eyebrows, only to get clobbered by a sofa cushion.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Continued in Part Four.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Jack had quite an entertaining afternoon, wandering around the vast grounds of the museum. The buildings were a little low for someone of his height, leading him to conclude that the Welsh must have been shorter during the last few centuries than they were now.
He did regret sticking his head in the door of the replica of an old mud-hut from prehistoric times, since he got a lungful of smoke from the open fire inside.
An hour and a half later, he made his way back to the main building to see the displays inside and locate Ianto. He found him in amongst displays of saucepans and various other cooking utensils, engrossed in a conversation with a pair of Norwegian tourists.
When they departed, he sneaked up behind Ianto and murmured in his ear. "Do they have examples of ancient coffee grinders in this place?"
Ianto jumped slightly, whirling around with a started expression on his face. "Jack! Don't do that - you nearly scared the life out of me!"
Jack shrugged, nonchalant. He kept his hands in his trouser pockets to keep from reaching for the Welshman, "I have plenty to spare."
"And I bet your Mam taught you about sharing. I'm done in twenty minutes - think you can keep yourself entertained till then? Without causing me to lose my job," Ianto added at the smirk on Jack's face.
Jack rewarded that with the universal 'Rats!' finger-snap , and they grinned at each other.
"Fine, okay," Jack said. "But I'm taking you out for dinner when you're finished, yeah?"
"I'd be a fool to pass up an offer of a free meal."
*~*~*~*~*~*
Jack waited quietly for Ianto, glancing around the various exhibits in the large room. It was kind of fascinating, in its own way, and there were several items that sent him on brief trips down memory lane. It amused him that despite being born and raised in the 51st Century, he was undeniably drawn to the 20th and its simple charms.
Though the 21st Century certainly had its appeal, he mused, as he watched Ianto prepare to finish his shift. There was still a few more hours left before the museum closed, so he had to wait for his replacement before he could leave.
A man about ten years Ianto's senior came to relieve him of his post just as the display of old clocks began to chime the hour. The two of them chatted to each other in Welsh for a moment, presumably discussing work-related matters, before shaking hands and saying their farewells. Ianto made his way over to Jack, a small smile on his face.
"I'm just heading to the staff area to grab my coat, Jack," He said, "Give me five minutes and I'll meet you in the lobby, okay?"
Jack nodded, beaming happily, "I'll be waiting."
He watched Ianto leave the room, so distracted that he failed to notice the older museum employee approach.
"So you're the boyfriend, are you?"
Jack turned to stare at the man, "Excuse me?"
"You're Ianto's boyfriend, right? He said he had a date tonight, and I guessed it was with you from the way you just interacted." He held his hand out, "The name's Simon."
"Jack," He returned the handshake, "He said he had a date?" The idea that Ianto would be so open, even in a rarely-spoken language, thrilled Jack no end.
Simon nodded, "He said you were back in town and he hadn't seen you in a long time. Better take him somewhere nice then!" the man grinned at him.
Jack chuckled, "I'll leave the choice up to him. He's probably waiting in the lobby already."
"Always one for punctuality, that one. Nice meeting you, Jack!"
Jack hurried out to the lobby as fast as he dared, spying Ianto waiting for him by the reception desk. "Are you ready to go?" he asked
"I have been for the last three minutes," Ianto smirked, his eyes twinkling. Jack grinned ruefully,
"Your colleague wanted to say hello." He told him as they made their way out into the sunny carpark, "Told me to take you somewhere nice on our date."
Ianto actually blushed a little at that, "Oh did he. I'll have to have words with him next time I see him." He looked around, "How did you get here? Did you drive the SUV?"
Jack shook his head, "No, I came over by bus. Assumed you'd have your car with you."
Ianto looked shocked, "Captain Jack Harkness took the bus? All the way out here? Now I know the world's ending."
Jack rolled his eyes, "I used them all time before cars became commonplace. One of these days I'm going to have to get a car of my own - I was so rarely any distance away from the Hub unless on Torchwood business that the SUV was all I needed. Anywhere else I wanted to go to was within walking distance."
Ianto nodded, reaching in his pocket for his keys, "I'm parked near the security hut at the main gates. Anywhere specific you want to go?"
"Hey, this is your evening. You get to decide."
In the end, Ianto dropped Jack outside a Chinese takeaway on Albany Road, Roath, with instructions what to order for him, before making his own way to the Blockbuster down the street. Ianto's new home was only a few blocks away, overlooking the Roath flower gardens; Jack whistled appreciatively when they arrived.
"How did you manage to afford this place?" he asked, staring up at the three-storey terraced house.
"Good luck." Ianto chuckled. "I sold the flat in London when I moved back to Cardiff, to buy that flat down the Bay. When I left Torchwood, I had Tosh sell it for me so I could relocate somewhere else as part of my retcon-created new life. She got a good price for it, and I had a fair amount of savings since I pretty much lived at work back then, so I was able to afford this place. It's not as big as it looks, though."
He unlocked the door with a flourish and gestured for Jack to enter. The hallway was long and beautifully tiled, with a staircase leading upstairs directly adjacent to the front door. Ianto lead Jack down the hall to a fairly small but well appointed kitchen with lots of pinewood cupboards. It was spotlessly clean, as Jack had expected, but there was an eclectic, relaxed feel to the room that kept it from feeling sterile; the complete opposite to the almost show-home style, modern steel and marble kitchen in Ianto's previous apartment.
"I like the place already," he said, placing the bag of takeout on a table under the large window, "It has character."
Ianto beamed at him proudly, reaching into a cupboard for some plates, "That's what I thought when I first saw it. I'd always liked these houses anyway, whenever we'd driven through, so I jumped at the chance to actually buy one now I no longer need to be so close to the Bay."
"I would have thought you'd have bought a little cottage in St Fagans." Jack admitted, but Ianto shook his head.
"I'm quite happy to commute the short distance. I'd feel isolated out there." Spooning rice onto the plates, he nodded at a cupboard to his left, "Glasses are up there, would you mind getting some down for us?"
"We're not just eating out of the cartons while we watch the movie?" Jack joked, pouring them a glass of cola each and taking a sip of his, "What film did you rent, anyway?"
Ianto continued to dish up, not meeting his gaze, "Brokeback Mountain."
Jack choked, spluttering noisily, "What?"
Ianto laughed, "Sorry, I couldn't resist! Iesu, you should see your face. What I wouldn't give for a camera right now."
The older man grumbled for a while, wiping his mouth with his sleeve, "Seriously, what did you rent?"
Ianto continued to smile enigmatically as he wiped the spilled cola from the counter with a tea-towel. "It's the new Ninja Turtles movie." He finally admitted, much to Jack's relief. Though Jack couldn't help laughing at his choice of movie.
"You picked a kids film?"
"Hey! You liked the show just as much as I did - you admitted it once during one of Gwen's team boozing sessions." Ianto pointed out, "It's just that I actually was a kid when it originally aired. You haven't that excuse."
"Ouch!" Jack mock-winced, "Just tell me it's better than the last Turtle movie?"
Ianto nodded, "Apparently it's very good. Some of the guys at the museum were raving about it."
*~*~*~*~*~*
Once the food was eaten - and the dishes cleared away in the dishwasher - Ianto gave Jack a tour of his new house.
None of the rooms were particularly big, but they displayed the same sense of character as Ianto's eclectic kitchen.
"This is the parlour." He said, leading Jack into the front-most room. It was fairly sparse, with a sofa and two chairs positioned around an impressive looking fireplace. There was a large bay window, giving a nice view of the park over the road.
"The parlour?" Jack echoed, his tone teasing, "I haven't heard anyone refer to the living room as that for a couple of decades!"
He looked around, taking in the tasteful artwork above the sideboard and wondering where the television was. There wasn't even one of those hide-away TV cupboards people sometimes used.
Ianto chuckled, "This isn't my living room, Jack. This is for if I have visitors," He beckoned for the other man to follow, and lead the way into a smaller room next door. "This is my living room."
Ah yes, this made more sense. This room had one large, comfy-looking sofa - that Jack remembered from the old apartment - facing a decent-sized television. There was a music system to one side, and the walls were hidden behind bookcases full of books, videos and DVDs. The room had a warm, welcoming feel to it that made Jack smile.
"Nice," he commented, "I can tell you've spent many happy hours relaxing in here."
"Well, I try to," Ianto shrugged, "I do at least have time to catch up on all the books and films I missed while I worked for Torchwood."
"Hence the membership at Blockbuster."
"Exactly. Never had the time before."
Ianto then led Jack upstairs and showed him where the bathroom was, and the guest bedroom.
"That's my room," He pointed at the closed door of the room at the front of the house, "And my study is upstairs. Come see."
Jack considered pouting at not being shown the bedroom, but it wasn't a great surprise really. He followed Ianto up one last flight of stairs to a large attic-type room on the top floor. Along with a practical looking desk with a computer, there were bookcases on almost every wall - this time filled with books on every topic Jack could ever imagine Ianto reading, and then some. Jack chuckled, picking up a book on card tricks and wondering if anyone else knew just how eclectic and multi-faceted Ianto truly was.
"I gotta say, I'm impressed. You've made a wonderful home for yourself here." ‘Without me', of course, went unspoken.
Ianto almost glowed with pride, "Thanks. I'm glad you like it. Not many people have visited so far."
"No house-warming party?" Jack pretended to be shocked, "Afraid your friends from the museum would trash the place?"
Ianto chuckled, "The younger ones might." He shook his head, "It's just never happened. Wouldn't feel right without…" He trailed off, a sad expression on his face. Jack reached out and squeezed his shoulder.
"Tosh will be able to come visit now I'm back." He promised.
Ianto's expression brightened, and Jack reflected that they must have grown pretty close over the months since he'd left with the Doctor. It made him a little jealous, but overall he was glad Ianto hadn't been entirely alone.
"Right-o!" Ianto took a deep breath, bringing the tour to a close, "We have a movie to watch."
"Hope you have some popcorn."
*~*~*~*~*
"Woah - did you see that!" Jack blinked
Ianto nodded, staring at the screen as the movie's immortal bad guy rose from the dead, "That looks just like when you come back to life again." His mouth quirked up into a grin as he turned to look at Jack, "Do we have to check through the production credits for an old flame of yours?"
The older man laughed, "Doubtful. But you never know - someone might have fictionalised me at some point over the years, only to later inspire that bit of the movie."
"Just don't tell me there actually are giant hybrid turtles roaming the sewers of New York."
"Well…." Jack started to waggle his eyebrows, only to get clobbered by a sofa cushion.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Continued in Part Four.