Cars and Stars
Title: Cars and Stars
Pairing: Jack and Ianto
Rating: PG
Summary: Ianto knows all of Jack’s smiles, but this one seems wrong.
Author's Notes: A little bit of slightly bittersweet fluff as I’m in a good mood and have cocktails.
Disclaimer: Torchwood owned by the BBC, not me.
Ianto took Jack his third cup of coffee of the day. Where there was normally a big smile for him, today, for the third time, it was just a small, half smile.
Ianto knew Jack’s smiles well; he had had time to learn them. He had learnt the difference between “lecherous, but save it for later” and “lecherous, better run if you don’t want to get pounced on” and “lecherous and going to get pounced on even if do you run.”
He had learnt “fake smile”, “pleased to see you but busy” smile, and “I don’t know you but want to get you to do something for me” smile.
But this was a new smile. It clearly said “I’m pleased to see you” but it was saying something more. There was a sadness in the smile. Like something was missing.
Ianto spent the rest of the day watching Jack. Watching him smile to the others, reading his smiles to him, and more importantly, watching him stare off into space when he thought no-one was looking.
By the end of day Ianto knew what that smile meant too.
******
“Jack.” The captain looked up at the gentle sound of Ianto’s voice to see the young man standing in the doorway. Meeting his eye Ianto headed across the office and picked up Jack’s coat.
“Come on Jack.” Ianto said, motioning towards the door with his head.
“I have stuff to do Ianto.” Jack said, and used that smile again.
“It wasn’t a request.” Ianto’s voice didn’t change from that soft gentle tone despite the harshness of the words.
“Come on. Please?” Jack sighed. Whatever this was it clearly meant a lot to him. He pushed his own thoughts out of his mind and stood, moving to join Ianto at the door.
With his own coat already on, Ianto helped Jack into his, then turned and walked through the Hub towards the underground car park. Silently, curiously, Jack followed.
At Ianto’s indication Jack climbed into the passenger seat of the SUV, while Ianto slid behind the wheel. The engine roared into life and the car pulled out of the garage and into the dark night.
Sensing that he wasn’t going to get much conversation out of Ianto during the drive to wherever they were going, Jack leaned his head against the cold glass of the window and stared out into the night. The wistful expression that settled itself onto Jack’s face was all the confirmation Ianto needed.
Ianto drove them for more than an hour. Most of it in companionable silence. Jack had gazed out of the window, watching the city pass by, then the suburbs, then the darker roads of the smaller towns, until now they were on unlit roads seemingly headed for nowhere.
“Where are we going?” Jack finally turned to ask Ianto.
“We’re nearly there.” was his only reply.
Driving a little further, Ianto pulled the 4x4 off the main road and onto a narrow track, that became rougher and bumpier the more they travelled along it. They were truly driving into nothing. The headlights of the SUV picked up the odd startled rabbit bouncing in front of them, but other than that there were no signs of life for miles. It was almost totally black.
After a little while the bouncing stopped and Ianto turned off the engine, killing the lights and stepped gracefully out of the car.
Jack copied him and met the young man standing in front of the bonnet. He looked at him again.
“Where are we Ianto? And why are we here?”
“Look up Jack.” came the soft reply.
Jack looked up and gasped.
The sky was awash with stars. They shone and twinkled and seemed to dance in the air for him. There were so many lights in Cardiff and in the towns, that they hid all but the brightest stars. But here, here in the middle of nowhere, there were no lights to hide the sky, save the fiery balls of rock looking down at him now.
“I know you miss them.” The soft voice said next to him.
“Oh thank you. Thank you Ianto.” Jack breathed, taking in the full wonder of the heavens above him. The heavens he had once travelled in.
“I’ll wait in the car.”
“No Ianto; please stay. Please share the stars with me.”
Jack was rewarded with a small, grateful smile in the darkness. Jack hoisted himself onto the bonnet of the SUV and Ianto climbed up beside him.
Jack lay back, legs dangling over the front grill and clasping his hands behind his head, rested on them. Ianto lay down next to him, pillowing his head on Jack’s bent arm.
They lay together, coats protecting them from the chilled night air while Jack lost himself in thoughts of stars and Ianto lost himself in thoughts of Jack.