Fic: The Holiday - Part II
Title: The Holiday
Author:
meloenijs
Prompt: The Holiday
Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Rhys, (past Gwen/Owen, side: Rhys/Janet, Owen/Diane)
Rating: R
Spoilers: Only if you've never seen The Holiday. Character backgrounds for Torchwood.
Word Count: 13.850
Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine, I’m merely borrowing them. Torchwood owned by the BBC, The Holiday owned by Columbia Pictures and Universal Pictures.
Beta by:
janiemc
A/N: Written for
reel_torchwood. Any views expressed about tea are not my own and should not be taken seriously.
Summary: Gwen and Jack both have trouble with love. They decide to house-swap. Will it finally lead them to real love?
I woke up in a pitch black room, fumbling around blindly to find the buttons to control the sunscreens. Light burst into the room through the large windows, I shut my eyes against the onslaught. The ringing phone rushed away the latest slumbers of sleep. Grabbing it quickly, I fell back into the bed.
“Hello?”
“Where am I finding you?”
“Owen.” Damn. I knew he’d find a way to get back into my mind.
“I’m having some problems with a section of my book. Is it okay if I send you some pages?” How could I deny the man anything? “Well… If you need me.”
“You know you’re my survival kit. I’m sending you the pages tomorrow, look for them, will you? Have fun today.”
“Okay,” I mumbled. Sod it, I’m going back to sleep. Sunscreens down, hello-o oblivion.
-----
Ianto went into his local pub, searching out a certain tall brunette. He went through the mass of bodies, his hope smashed when he saw no sign of Jack.
“Ianto!” His friends called out to him.
Sighing, he gave up and turned around to meet them. John Smith and Harold Saxon had known each other for years, but they had only been together for a few months.
“Hey John, Harry,” he greeted. “How are you?”
Their answer went unheard as he caught sight of a pair of startling blue eyes. He stood up to make sure he saw it correctly, excusing himself with his friends. Jack waved at him, smiling broadly. Ianto sat back down and beckoned Jack over, inviting him to join them at their table.
-----
I was driving through the neighbourhood to explore a bit when I saw the old lady who’d passed the house yesterday. She looked a bit lost, so I pulled over next to her.
“Excuse me. Can I offer you a lift home?” I never could resist someone who needs help.
“Why? Do you know where I live?” Her accent sounded vaguely English, as if she’d been trying not to let the more brash American accent dominate her speech.
“I believe I do, yes.” She probably lived next to me.
“Good, that makes one of us.” I smiled nervously at that in response.
I pulled onto the driveway of yet another massive house, complete with gate and semi-forest. I couldn’t help feeling like a provincial girl when I gasped.
“Your house is lovely!”
“I’ve lived here for so long now. It’s changed so much, when I first came here there were only six houses. But they keep building and building. That’s how I got confused. I didn’t recognise one house.”
“That would be very confusing,” I agreed.
She fumbled with the door, unable to open it, so I stepped out of the car and opened the door for her. I handed her the walking rack and walked her to the door. She reached out a trembling hand to try and get the key in the lock.
“Here, let me.” I took her keys and opened the door, feeling once again overwhelmed by the luxury.
I spotted a messy bureau through an open door on my left, with large posters of the Cottingley fairies hung up on the walls. On one of the shelves stood a few prestigious looking awards. Impressed, I turned back to the living room where Estelle was straightening her coat. The room was covered in bits and pieces of old cameras, with a rare functional one in between. The walls were covered in more black and white photos.
“Goodbye then. I enjoyed meeting you,” I said, then gathered all my courage and continued.
“You know, I hope you don’t find this strange, but I was thinking of going out for dinner tonight, and if you’re not busy, would you like to join me?”
Estelle looked mildly shocked and replied, “Oh my dear, the only one who ever keeps me busy would be Moses, my old cat. He’s around here somewhere. But I’d love to go with you.”
“I was just there to deliver a message, but their photographer hadn’t shown up and since I’d always dabbled a bit in photography, I’d found myself my first real job.”
“That’s amazing. I didn’t think things like that actually ever happened. It feels straight out of a film.” Estelle was incredible. She’d been telling entertaining stories about her work in photography and documentary the whole evening. Apparently, she had been behind the documentary that proved the girls who took the Cottingley pictures were correct, and that fairies did in fact exist, living peacefully amongst us in the forests.
“I know,” Estelle smiled, “but Gwen dear, I’ve been wondering what a girl like you is doing with an old woman like me during the Christmas holidays?”
My heart clenched and I felt my throat tighten. “I - just wanted to get away from the people I see all the time. Change of scenery, and all that.” I stared straight into Estelle’s eyes, hoping she’d accept this as the truth.
She didn’t. She just raised her eyebrows at me.
“Well, maybe just one person. My ex-boyfriend who got engaged and forgot to tell me.” I blinked rapidly, trying to force the tears back without success.
“You poor baby. What an idiot to let you go.”
I tried to wipe my eyes subtly with my serviette. “Thanks. He kind of is an idiot, yeah.”
-----
Jack stumbled down the small stairs, groaning and nearly bumping his already thumping head against a beam.
“This is why I normally drink water. I’m not used to drinking this much. How could those friends of yours drink so much and still be sober? I’m convinced they’re secretly aliens.”
He walked into the kitchen where Ianto was brewing coffee. He noticed a familiar pair of boxers lying on a chair.
“Huh. I was wondering where those were.” He looked down at his tracksuit and let his waistband snap. “Although I don’t mind going commando once in a while,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows at Ianto. “So, remind me, did we get up to something last night?”
“We did not,” Ianto looked amused. “I had to half carry you up the stairs and then you passed out on my chest.”
Jack chuckled. “Thank god that was all. I’ve been known to do much worse when drunk. It’s why I stopped."
He slumped into the chair that was graced by his boxers and leaned his head into his hands. Ianto seemed to take pity and offered him a deliciously smelling cup of coffee.
“Don’t worry. It was kind of cute, the way you begged me to stay. And promptly started snoring.”
Jack just groaned.
He felt something vibrating against his elbow, then a piercing ringtone cut through his head, adding to the thumping. He grabbed the phone and glanced at the screen before handing it to Ianto. “Suzie. Sorry, didn’t mean to look. Again.”
“I should probably take this,” Ianto said, walking out of the kitchen.
Jack sighed and picked up his coffee. It really was heavenly. He stood up and wandered over to the window, watching Ianto on the phone outside. Tosh, Suzie, Jack. Ianto sure seemed like a busy fellow. Ianto had told Jack last night he was bisexual, and watching Ianto smile on the phone made him feel slightly jealous. Ridiculous. He didn’t have any claim over the cute Welshman. He sighed again.
Ianto had finished his phone call and turned back to the house, seeing Jack through the window. He smiled and walked back indoors, to the kitchen where Jack was very busy not watching through the window.
“I’m thinking we should go to town, maybe grab some lunch. Get to know each other?” Ianto asked hesitantly. Jack was surprised, hadn’t they agreed not to go any further? “Why?”
“Why not? I like being in your company,” Ianto said.
Jack let Ianto drive, not wanting to repeat the fiasco that was his last attempt. He snuck a glance at the younger man beside him and admired the view. He barely resisted the temptation to trace that cute button nose with his finger. Ianto turned his head and caught his gaze. All they needed to perfect the moment was romantic music playing softly in the background. They both turned their heads forwards at the same time, causing them to laugh softly at each other.
Fancy place for just a lunch, Jack thought. It was the kind of place that would lit candles during the evening and play soft romantic music.
“So you’re the manager of a coffee shop?”
“Yep. I was gifted with the skill to make divine coffee, and it seemed like such a waste not to let mankind enjoy those skills,” Ianto deadpanned.
“What did you study in school? Did you always know you’d do this?” Jack fired his questions at Ianto.
“Jack, I feel like I’m being interrogated. Do you always act like this on the first date?”
“I’m sorry. It’s been a while since I’ve been on a first date. To be honest, I haven’t done a lot of dating in my life.”
“Well, since we’ve slept together twice and had sex once, maybe we can bend the first-date rules a bit for you,” Ianto smiled.
Jack, to his own amazement, actually blushed. “I’ll just try and be myself. Can’t be too difficult."
“Your turn now,” Ianto smirked. “What do you do? You said you were a Captain?”
“I used to be a Captain in the RAF but I quit after an accident.”
Jack paused to take a sip of his drink and gather his thoughts. It was years ago, but he still felt guilty about what had happened.
“I talked my friend into joining with me. Told him it would be an adventure - we would be heroes. He got shot down.”
Jack paused again and looked into Ianto’s eyes. He didn’t see the pity he so thoroughly hated, only understanding. He took a deep breath and continued.
“After I left, I started a company, Torchwood, that tracks CCTV and alerts the police when and where they’re needed. I built it from the ground up, it’s a bit my pride and joy.”
“Wow. You do realise I’m a little intimidated now, right?”
Jack smiled. “As long as you’re careful in Los Angeles, I don’t see a problem.”
“What about your family?”
Jack’s eyes darkened slightly before he looked away. “I don’t have any. My father and brother died in an armed robbery and I was the only one who survived. My mother couldn’t handle the loss so she committed suicide.”
Ianto leaned over the table and caught Jack’s hand in his own, rubbing small circles over the knuckles. “I’m sorry. God, that must have been awful.”
“She was kind enough to wait ‘till I was eighteen,” Jack cleared his throat and quickly continued, “Let’s order.”
Ianto continued rubbing small, soothing circles over the back of Jack’s hand throughout lunch, only pausing to gobble down his own meal. They moved on to lighter subjects, laughing and generally having a good time. After lunch they went for a walk through Bute Park, following the trail of the river Taff. Deciding against taking the Aquabus down to the Bay, they walked farther into the park, resting on one of the benches in an open spot.
Jack snuggled into Ianto, enjoying the warmth of the younger man. He was slowly but surely losing his heart to the charming Welshman, although he kept denying it to himself.
Ianto stopped the car in front of the house, undoing his belt to walk inside with Jack. Jack turned and said, “It’s okay, you know. I won’t die if you let me walk those twenty metres alone.”
“You could just tell me if you don’t want me to come inside,” Ianto responded.
“It’s not that, Ianto. But I’m leaving in nine days and this is getting complicated. I’m not sure I’m ready for complicated.”
Ianto took it in well. “Okay. I can see where you’re coming from. I promise I won’t be drunkenly banging on your door any time soon.”
Jack smiled at that. “I’ll see you again, though. We’ll work something out, okay?”
Ianto nodded, and Jack left the car. He turned around, pretending to slip on the ice, then winked and mouthed to Ianto, “Not dead yet.”
Ianto chuckled, giving Jack a small wave when he entered the house. He stared at the closed door with a forlorn look in his eyes.
-----
There was someone knocking on the door. Silently, I cursed myself for not closing the gate after all my guests arrived. I opened the door, prepared to shoo away some religious nutter.
“Hi. Hope I’m not interrupting something,” Rhys said, indicating my clothes.
“No, no… the more, the merrier,” I stuttered. What was it about this man that made me so nervous?
“This FedEx was leaning on the gate. From the metropolis Cardiff, Wales.”
“Oh, yeah, I’m helping a friend with his book, I give him notes sometimes.” There was a letter attached with a paperclip. My heart jumped a little, hoping it held a personal message. I pulled it off, merely to discover the only thing printed on it was Owen’s name. I turned it around, vaguely hoping he’d written something on the backside. Nothing. My heart plummeted into my stomach.
I tried to ignore the feeling and invited Rhys along to the party. Estelle had rounded up some of her friends in the knowledge that I still didn’t know anyone here. We were having a fairy themed party, which sounds worse than it actually is. I had to admit though, now Rhys was here I felt fairly ridiculous dressed up in the fairy wings.
Rhys accepted the invitation and followed me through the hallway to the large dining room. I threw Owen’s notes on a table, they could wait.
Estelle and her friends were getting pretty sloshed, and I wasn’t much better. Rhys was courteous enough not to mention anything though. What a sweet man.
We were currently on the topic of Estelle’s army sweetheart. She’d met him in England, but he was stationed across the pond during the war. He was one of the reasons she’d decided to try her luck in America. She never found him again, and years later she heard he’d died as a hero, saving his men from a surprise attack during a routine training exercise.
“But what about you, Rhys? Haven’t found a pretty American girl yet?” one of Estelle’s friends asked. Rhys shook his head in mock exasperation, blushing slightly. “Well, I’ve been seeing Janet for three months, she’s an actress, and let me tell you, I’m one lucky guy!”
“Oh, she’s an actress. Anything we would have seen?”
“She hasn’t done that much yet, but she’s filming right now in New Mexico.”
“Her loss is our gain. I wish young men like you came to our parties more often.” She actually winked at him. I might be mentally scarred for life. Although I too was glad he’d dropped by, he’d really brightened up the party with his cheerful nature.
“Girls, I think we should be off and leave these young folks,” Estelle said. I could kiss her at that moment. After I’d seen everyone off, I turned to Rhys. He was gazing off in space.
“This was an amazing night. I’ve always admired Estelle Cole for her role in the increased awareness of fairies. It was such a life-turning discovery, and thanks to her everyone just accepted it instead of freaking out,” he shook his head in amazement.
I smiled and nodded. “I know. And she’s so modest about it. She’s an amazing woman.”
“As are you,” Rhys said softly. He blushed immediately, and moved around me to the door. “I had a great evening. Those chocolate covered macaroons were delicious.” He leaned towards me and gave me a quick peck on the cheek. “Good night.”
I squashed the fluttering butterflies in my stomach and opened to door to let him out. “I enjoyed it too.” Suddenly I remembered why he’d initially come here. “Hold on a second, I’ll get you John’s laptop.”
I’d placed it on the stairs in the hallway earlier today just in case Rhys happened to pop by, then completely forgot about it.
“Here you are,” I pushed the laptop in Rhys’ hands.
“Thanks.” He leaned in and kissed me again on my cheek. “Oh, I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to kiss you twice.”
“No problem.” If you didn’t count a fluttering stomach as a problem.
Rhys walked to his car, nearly getting blown over by the wind.
“It’s officially crazy weather. And we thought Wales was bad.”
I laughed, waving as Rhys turned his car and left.
-----
Jack sat in the bath, contemplating what he’d said earlier. ‘I’m not sure I’m ready for complicated?’ What was he thinking? Here he had a gorgeous and willing man, and he’d just let him go. And for what reason? So he’d just broken up with John, yes, but that had been over long before, they’d just not admitted it. He groaned. John was right, he did screw up every relation he ever had.
Taking a decision, he jumped out of the bath.
Deciding to take the risk of driving the car, he programmed the address in the SatNav.
Luckily, he didn’t have to go far. He stopped outside a rustic house, praying the gate wasn’t locked. It wasn’t, and he stepped through it into a neat front garden. Walking up to the front door, he ignored all his doubts. He hesitated a few moments before pressing the doorbell. He could do this.
Ianto opened the door, stepping half outside to block the cold from going inside.
“Surprise,” Jack said. Ianto looked shocked.
“It definitely is, yeah. Hi.”
“I was home alone, and I thought about you. And I realised I’m a fool, and that a little complication never hurt anyone. I should’ve let you come inside.”
Ianto opened his mouth slightly and pulled up one eyebrow. He nervously looked back inside.
“And I just thought,” Jack continued, “maybe… Oh god, you’re not alone, are you?”
Ianto smiled tightly in response and shook his head. “No. I’m not, actually. I’m sorry.”
“Oh. It’s nothing, it’s me who should be sorry, I shouldn’t have disturbed you,” Jack stumbled over his words, and made to turn away.
Ianto opened his front door, revealing a young Asian girl standing in the doorway.
She looked up to Ianto and asked, “Who’s this, Tad?”
Jack was dumbfounded. “Tad?”
“Yes,” Ianto said fiercely, “Jack, this is Tosh, my daughter. Tosh, this is my friend, Jack.”
Tosh glanced up at Jack and solemnly extended her hand. “How do you do?”
Jack shook her hand, and answered “I’m fine, thank you.”
“Would you like to come inside?” Tosh asked.
“No, I should be go-” he broke off as he saw another little girl appear behind Ianto.
Ianto bend down to pick her up. “Who is this, Tad?”
“Suzie, this is Jack. And Jack, this is my youngest daughter, Suzie.”
Jack simply nodded and kept nodding. His mind was reeling.
“Oh, Tosh and Suzie. I see.”
Ianto smiled, as if he knew exactly what Jack had been thinking. “Come in, Jack. It’s warmer inside.”
Jack walked inside reluctantly, looking for signs of Ianto’s wife. This was so not a good idea.
He heard Ianto promising his kids hot chocolate before coming to take Jack’s coat.
“Ianto, are you married?” He’d decided just asking would probably be best.
Ianto briefly closed his eyes. When he opened them they looked so full of sadness, Jack immediately regretted asking.
“I was. She died in a car accident. I tried to pull her out but it was already too late."
Suzie and Tosh broke the moment by asking Jack if he’d brought them something. He gave them each a piece of chocolate, which seemed to satisfy them. He looked up to Ianto, who looked embarrassed.
“I’m sorry. I should have mentioned it sooner.”
“No problem. I heard something about hot chocolate earlier?”
It appeared Ianto could make just as delicious hot chocolate as he could coffee. He moaned softly to convey his pleasure. “God Ianto. How do you do this to me with just a hot beverage?”
Ianto coughed and glanced at his kids. Jack took the hint and shut up.
Tosh climbed on Ianto’s lap, complaining she didn’t have enough marshmallows.
“You have five, like everyone else has.” Tosh wanted to show her mug to Ianto to let him count with her, but she accidentally spilled her chocolate all over his trousers.
“Oh duw, that’s hot.” He put Tosh on the ground and stood up. “Girls, why don’t you go play in your Hub while I change and get cleaned up?”
Ianto walked to his bedroom with Jack in his tow. Jack smirked as Ianto turned around to pretend he had at least a bit of privacy left.
“Nothing I haven’t seen before anyway.” Ianto rolled his eyes but didn’t respond.
“I’m really sorry about disturbing your night,” Jack said. Ianto fastened his belt and turned around to face Jack. “It’s okay,” he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “I should’ve told you, but not many people are that keen on dating someone with two kids. And because they’re adopted, they find it hard to empathise with them. Because they don’t have my DNA? Bullshit.” He clenched his teeth and closed his eyes, frustrated. “Sorry. I shouldn’t be talking like this.”
Jack walked closer and took Ianto’s shoulders, rubbing down his arms in a soothing manner. “Hey. I like your kids,” he pulled Ianto in a full embrace, “And I like you.”
Ianto leaned his head on Jack’s shoulder. “I know,” he mumbled, “but you’re leaving so soon. Why introduce them to someone I may never see again?”
Ianto’s words felt like a pang through Jack’s heart. He didn’t want to be reminded he was just here on a holiday, not when he was holding the perfect man in his arms. Perfect, yet worlds apart. Ianto owned a coffee shop in Cardiff, while he had his own CCTV security company in Los Angeles.
Ianto straightened his shoulders and lifted his head. “Let’s go and make sure the kids haven’t ruined their room.”
The room was still in one piece - as far as that was possible in a children’s room - and Jack had to admit, it was brilliantly decorated. It looked straight from the set of a science fiction movie. The walls were adorned with flashing lights, and tubes were running all over the place. The floor was littered with action figures and miniature spaceships. In the middle of the room stood a massive bed in the form of a rocket, with Tosh and Suzie playing on top with some action figures.
Ianto flushed at Jack’s enquiring look. “My wife was a bit of a science fiction fan. She was particularly fascinated with the Cybermen from Doctor Who, that’s why we have so many of them. I’m afraid she rubbed off on the children.”
“I love it. You can never start too early educating them the wonders of science fiction,” Jack grinned. Ianto rolled his eyes, “Oh god, not another one.”
Tosh called out to Jack to join them in their game. The Cybermen were just about to wipe the Daleks from existence. “You can play the hero, Jack,” she cried enthusiastically.
Jack grinned at Ianto before joining them on the bed.
Jack got tragically shot on Skaro during a stealth mission, but was revived and made immortal through the powers of the Time Vortex. Together, they defeated Davros and the Daleks, letting the Cybermen conquer the galaxy from their base in the Hub.
“Ianto, I think I’m in love with your kids,” Jack declared.
He immediately got a breathtaking kiss in reaction.
-----
Today was a beautiful morning. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing and I was enjoying every moment of it, even the minor hangover from last night. I decided to pop by Estelle to check how she was doing.
Estelle had apparently counted on my coming by, and hadn’t picked up her mail. I tutted at her laziness, but didn’t let it put a damper on my good mood. Searching through the flowerpot for the spare key and getting earth stuck under my fingernails did get a bit at me though, so I threw the mail on her desk maybe a bit more forcefully than I would’ve normally. “Gas company, electricity, fancy-looking envelope… Here you go.”
Estelle took the bills and threw away the fancy letter. Unable to contain my curiosity - I mean, it was a very fancy envelope - I asked her why she threw it away.
“It’s just the same as usual. They always write the same.”
“But what if it’s important?” How could she just dismiss it this easily?
“It isn’t. The Fairy Representatives club wants to celebrate me for some reason.”
I’ll admit it, I nearly gaped. Again.
The Fairy Representatives came up for the Chosen One’s rights and made sure the communication between humans and fairies went smoothly. It was an honour to be chosen for their celebrations - it meant you’d made a profound impact on how Fairies were treated and seen in society. I couldn’t believe Estelle was just throwing it away, so I dove into her bin and fished it out.
“Miss Cole! I cannot believe you would throw away a chance like this. Why don’t you go?”
“Oh Gwen. Who’d come to see me? And how do you suppose I’d get there? I can hardly walk.”
She didn’t know me then. I took her out to the swimming pool, starting lightly. We walked the length together, then I let go of her and encouraged her to walk alone. We kept practising the whole afternoon until I was sure Estelle could drink my blood. I might have accidentally kicked her walking rack out of reach a couple of times.
I was exploring Jack’s study feeling particularly satisfied about how much progress Estelle had made when the phone rang. I picked up, hoping it wasn’t someone important who needed Jack.
“Hey Gwen. How’s it going?”
“Ianto! It’s great. I met a wonderful woman.”
“You surprise me every day. What’s she like?”
“I can be myself with her, she’s brilliant and she’s about ninety years old.”
“You could do worse. Actually, you have done worse.”
“Thanks Ianto. Nice to know I can count on you. She’s actually my neighbour. Or Jack’s neighbour. You should meet Jack, he sounded like a nice guy.”
“Yeah, we’ve met.”
Beep. “Oh bugger, hold on, I have another call.”
“Hello?”
“Gwen, hi, it’s Jack.”
“Hey, how are you? How’s it going?”
“Great, I’m loving it.”
“Brilliant. Listen, can you hold for a second? My brother’s on the other line.”
“Ianto?”
“Yes, he mentioned you’d met.”
“We did, yeah. How is he?”
“Fine, I think. Just hold on a sec.”
“Sorry Ianto, that was Jack.”
“How did he sound? How is he doing?”
“He just asked me how you are. But can I call you back?”
“I can wait while you ask him. I don’t mind.”
“Hey Jack. Ianto’s fine. He asked me how you are.”
“Great. I’m just taking Myfanwy for a walk in town. So what has he been up to?”
“I’m not sure. I can ask him, can you hold?”
“Sure.”
Needless to say, I was getting pretty pissed off. I started shouting.
“I can’t believe you’ve had sex with the man staying in my house! The one thing he asked was if there were any men in town and I assured him there were not!”
“Oh god, did he tell you that?”
“Jack! I thought I was talking to Ianto. Oh bollocks. I must’ve lost him. Can I call you back?”
As soon as I disconnected the call with Jack the phone started ringing again.
“What?”
“It’s Rhys. Did I do something wrong?”
“Rhys! No, sorry I thought you were someone else.”
“What a relief. I was thinking, do you have something to do for Christmas Eve?”
“Not much. I was just about to go down the shops, get some groceries.”
“Want some company?”
“I’d love some.”
Being in Rhys’ company was so uncomplicated and liberating I soon felt my anger for Ianto dissipate. Even going to a shop, something I normally dreaded, was made fun by Rhys’ indomitable cheer. He told me he was quite a decent cook, and we agreed to meet up another day so I could try his famous lasagne. We were in a small grocery store, and just as I finished up and went to the aisle to pay, the cashier ran off to answer his mobile.
Rhys didn’t appreciate it, to say the least.
“He just walked off! He sees us coming, and he walks off,” he shouted. “We’ll just help ourselves then, shall we?” He threw a wad of bills on the counter.
“There you are, keep the change. We’re not coming here again. It’s overpriced anyway.”
I was laughing at him, nearly getting tears in my eyes.
“Rhys the rant,” I nicknamed him. This was another side of him, but I didn’t appreciate it any less. He shook his head again in the direction the cashier had disappeared and took our bags.
“Come on, let’s go.”
We walked out of the shop, pausing in the doorway to orientate where we’d left the car. That’s the moment Janet decided to walk by across the street. With another man. Rhys ran after her, “Janet!”
I could see Janet making a lot of waving motions, indicating herself and the stranger.
Rhys and I drove back to the house in silence. As soon as we entered the living room, he dropped himself into the sofa. “Why do I always fall for the bad girls?”
“You didn’t know that.”
He scoffed. “I knew she wasn’t good. And she ran off with that Brad guy as soon as my back was turned.”
I offered him tea. “Do you have something stronger?”
He’d obviously spent too much time in America if he didn’t use tea to solve his problems, but I switched my offer to a Guinness. He took a sip and groaned.
Telling him I knew how he felt wouldn’t help, so I tried explaining it to him.
“You hope you’re wrong. Every time she does something that tells you she’s not good you ignore it, and every time she comes through and surprises you, she wins you over and you lose the argument with yourself she’s not worth it.”
Rhys stared at me with his mouth open. “Exactly. And there is the classic ‘how would such a girl ever stay with me’?”
I nodded along and we sat in companionable silence for a while.
Rhys sighed and sat up straighter. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t listen to this. I don’t want to ruin your Christmas Eve.”
“It’s okay, I like the company.” I decided to go for it. I told him about Owen, and how everything turned out. I felt better getting it all of my chest, but this was rapidly turning into a sob-fest. Rhys handed me the Guinness, claiming I had more need for it.
He asked me if Owen was the same who’d sent me those pages. When I agreed, he proclaimed Owen a heartless bastard for staying in touch and not letting me get over him in peace. He pulled me off the couch and told me we’d make his lasagne as comfort food.
I don’t think I’ve ever loved a man more than I did Rhys at that moment.
The next day, Rhys went with Estelle and me to get some clothes for the celebration. I’d invited him so we could both think about lighter subjects than heartbreak. His taste was pretty decent, as long as it was for a woman of Estelle’s age. I wouldn’t let him dress me.
-----
Jack was celebrating Christmas alone with Myfanwy. She wasn’t bad company, but he could think of better. He could certainly think of a few who wouldn’t look quite so jealous at his plate of spaghetti.
After a lot of bargaining with security, Jack had managed to get up to the highest rooftop he’d found. He’d always liked heights, despite making him feel insignificant.
He was considering his options with Ianto. Stay here and start anew with the chance of being stuck here when everything went horribly wrong? Or go back to his successful life in Los Angeles, alone. He’d love to stay with Ianto, but John had had a point - he was crap at relationships. Wasn’t it better to go back home while they both still thought of one another fondly?
Jack was packing. Tomorrow, it was time to leave and go back home. The thought filled him with dread. He still wasn’t sure how he felt about Ianto.
Myfanwy heard something and ran downstairs. Jack followed curiously and heard the frantic knocking on his door. He opened the door cautiously to see Ianto standing on the doorstep.
Jack opened his mouth to say something, only to be cut off immediately by Ianto pulling them against each other, letting their mouths meet in a desperate kiss.
Jack barely managed to close the door behind them before Ianto was fumbling with his belt and braces.
-----
Rhys was cooking for me. He certainly seemed to be very fond of pasta, today it was macaroni with cheese.
He’d come over today, declaring that Estelle and I needed the food of champions for tonight. I wasn sure how mac and cheese wins competitions, but it’s the gesture that counts.
We sat around the dining table, enjoying Rhys’ food and generally having a good time. Rhys was currently in the middle of telling an extravagant story about something that’d happened to him and his mate Banana Boat. It was less hard to believe it really happened if you knew Banana, apparently.
When everyone was done, Estelle excused herself and said she’d meet up with us in an hour or two, winking at me behind Rhys’ back.
“Rhys, have I told you you’re an amazing cook yet?” I asked.
“Not today, you haven’t,” he replied, looking pleased with himself.
“Well, you are. As long as you don’t let it get to your head,” I answered in jest.
Rhys acted dramatically shocked and grabbed his heart. “What must you think of me?”
Oh, if only you knew.
-----
They lay panting next to each other.
After their first heated coupling against the door, they’d stumbled into the bed, once again leaving a trail of clothes all over the house.
Ianto spoke up first. “Your technique is indeed quite flawless.”
“Told ya,” Jack smirked.
“So…,” Ianto turned to face Jack, leaning on his arm. “Don’t you have to travel for your work? Maybe to London?”
Jack’s face fell. “Never.” He stared at the ceiling.
“Maybe we can work something out? Long-distance relations aren’t impossible,” Ianto sounded hopeful.
Jack said nothing and kept staring at the ceiling, his whole body tensing up.
After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Jack spoke up. “I don’t think a long-distance relationship would work between us.” He finally turned and met Ianto’s eyes.
“You don’t know what you do to me, Ianto Jones. I don’t think I’d be able to only see you once in a while.”
Ianto groaned and flopped back down on the bed. “So you’re dumping me? Instead of at least trying?”
“Look, we’ll both just end up miserable. I’ll constantly be fretting about you when you’re not with me, and what about the girls? How would they feel about it if you left every so often? So you’ll be feeling guilty about them, and I’ll be prickly and annoying because I don’t want you to leave, and we’ll just split up. Maybe one last phone call. And that would be it. Leaving the both of us feeling like crap.”
Ianto just stared, his face a blank mask.
“And I think it’s better if we leave it at this, and keep our memories untainted. It’s been the most perfect vacation I’ve had Ianto, thanks to you, and I don’t want to lose that.”
Ianto got up from the bed and took his boxers from where they’d carelessly been thrown on the floor. He very carefully didn’t look at Jack while he pulled them on.
“Or maybe that won’t happen. Maybe I’m in love with you, Jack. And maybe I’d really like to spend time with you, however hard it’ll be.” Ianto sighed and threw a glance at Jack before walking out, pausing briefly in the doorway. “Doesn’t matter if you don’t feel the same though. Just forget I said anything.”
Jack gaped at Ianto’s retreating back. That was not what he’d expected. Anger, or relief even, but a declaration of love? He wasn’t sure how to deal with that. Hell, he wasn’t even sure how he felt any more. After thinking everything through he’d been so sure he’d taken the right decision, sparing both of them the heart grief that was sure to follow. Jack groaned and buried his head in the duvet. This was such a mess.
-----
We’d been talking for the past half hour, swapping embarrassing stories and enjoying a chocolate dessert, when Rhys’ phone rang. From what I could hear, Janet had stranded in the middle of nowhere, half an hour away. She desperately wanted her hero to come and rescue her.
I told Rhys he should go, she’d finally seen sense and realised how great he was. Rhys sputtered about dessert, but I could see he was just saying it for the sake of politeness. He was eager to go see Janet, but he promised he’d make it to the Fairy Representation Club later in the evening.
He dropped a kiss on my forehead and assured me once more he’d be there.
I considered pouring a glass of brandy but decided against it. I’d need my wits on me later in the evening.
With nothing better to do, I searched for Owen’s pages and resigned myself to reading through them. I’d just installed myself comfortably in the sofa when my phone rang. I picked up without looking at the display.
Of course it would be Owen calling. I felt terrible for feeling happy he called.
He told me he’d sent a package, and if it had arrived yet? He asked me to check the front gate, just to be sure.
I opened the door to Owen standing there with a present.
“Surprise,” he snapped his phone shut, “I found your Christmas present.”
I’d invited him in albeit reluctantly. I didn’t need this right now. Owen blathered on, talking about how nice this place was and how it suited me. How much he’d missed me. I let him ramble on until I couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Owen, I don’t care anymore. You come here, tell me you’ve missed me, and expect me to just jump back in your arms. And you’re still engaged! You’re just a cheating bastard, and I can’t believe I ever saw something in you. I met someone here, and even though he’s unavailable, he’s shown me how a perfect man should be.”
Despite my hard words I still felt my heart clench. I’d really loved Owen.
Owen’s eyes widened. “You don’t mean that. I came across half the world for you!”
“Yes, I do,” I replied, furious. He was acting so patronizing, as if I were hysterical. “And actually, you’ve never been good for me. You just used me when you wanted, never respected my wishes, and now, when I try to get over you, here you are! You’re such a bastard, Owen, and I hope you’re happy with Diane.”
It felt liberating, getting all that off my chest. I left Owen standing in my kitchen, gaping, to visit Estelle. We had a party to go to.
We barely arrived on time. Estelle had searched a bracelet made out of sculpted rose petals for me, which had been buried underneath a lot of old clothes.
I hurried her through the check-in, making sure she was sat comfortably, and went into the room to search for Rhys. I hadn’t expected quite this many people though. There must’ve been at least two hundred, probably more, and all were there for Estelle. I felt so proud of her at that moment.
I couldn’t locate Rhys and went back to the lounge, picking up Estelle to walk her in. The moment the doors opened and she saw the crowd, she gasped and wavered slightly. I offered her a smile, and we proceeded. She smiled and nodded at everyone. I handed Estelle over to someone from the Club when we reached the stage and went to my seat.
The moment Estelle wanted to start her speech, Rhys came running down the aisle. He greeted me panting. “Hey. Sorry I’m late.”
“You made it, that’s what matters,” I smiled.
“Gwen?” Rhys asked midway through Estelle’s speech. “What are you doing on New Year’s Eve?”
“I’ll be back in Wales by then.” Was it my imagination or was that a disappointed look on his face?
“You know… It’s been a while since I’ve visited my family in Wales,” he said hesitantly.
“Oh?” Very eloquent reply, Gwen.
“If I’m in Wales, will you go out with me for New Year’s Eve?”
I kissed him in reply.
-----
The taxi was waiting. Jack knew he was loitering, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave the house. He sighed and gave up. He took his last suitcase and put it in the boot of the cab.
His mind was filled with thoughts of Ianto during the drive. Their goodbye hadn’t been how he’d imagined it, and certainly not how he’d wanted it to go. Ianto’s declaration of love kept replaying through his mind. He’d considered everything it meant the past night.
Jack had thought about how he felt, but the only thing that came up was confusion.
He opened his eyes and looked out of the window. Too late now to change it, he was leaving. Soon it wouldn’t matter anyway.
The car turned into a very familiar looking street. As they passed Ianto’s house, Jack’s brain caught up with his heart.
“Stop! Could you wait here?” He didn’t wait to hear the answer, jumped out of the car and ran to Ianto’s house, uncaring about his baggage. He burst through the gate and started knocking on the front door like a madman. After what seemed like an eternity, the door opened on a crack.
A scruffy looking Ianto peeked through and arched an eyebrow when he saw Jack.
“Ianto! Please listen to me. I realise I have serious commitment problems, but I’d like to try this with you,” Jack pleaded.
Ianto hung in the door opening and let out a long-suffering sigh. “Look Jack, I appreciate it but you don’t have to do this. If you think it’s not going to work out, fine. I respect your opinion.”
“No, Ianto, I really want to do this. I want us to have a relationship, I want to be with you. I want to hear you read stories to your children at night, I want to play Captain Jack with them, I want to come home to you in the end of the day,” Jack tried to get closer to Ianto, blocked by the door. He lifted his arm to cup Ianto’s cheek in his hand, relishing the feel of stubble against his palm. “I want to be yours, and you to be mine.”
Ianto’s face remained blank, and Jack started to worry. Then, his lips curved into a smile.
“Those have to be the most cheesy lines I’ve ever heard,” Ianto joked. He opened the door further and pulled Jack closer. “Good thing I like cheese,” he mumbled before launching an attack at Jack’s mouth.
When they both pulled back for air, Ianto tugged at Jack’s coat and led him further into the house, pushing the door closed with his foot. They came to a stop in the middle of the hall, kissing ferociously. Something niggled at the back of Jack’s mind.
“Ianto?” he asked in the other man’s mouth.
“Hmm?” Ianto started nuzzling the nape of Jack’s neck.
“Aren’t your kids gonna see us if we stay here?” Jack asked after a few moment, nearly rendered speechless by the sensation of Ianto licking his neck, his stubble scraping over Jack’s skin.
Ianto softly bit at Jack’s neck before answering. “They’re staying with Lisa’s parents a couple of days.”
That was all the encouragement Jack needed to let out a groan of pleasure.
Ianto placed kisses all over Jack’s throat, marking him while slowly undoing the buttons of the older man’s shirt. He slid down the braces and yanked out the slip of Jack’s shirt. He moved the actions of his mouth to lower regions. Fumbling with Jack’s belt and flies, he sucked gently on a nipple, looking up and straight into Jack’s eyes.
Jack was panting heavily and moved slightly to lean back against the wall. He brought his hands up to slide through Ianto’s short hair, leaving one hand grasping the strands while the other tried to slip under Ianto’s waistband.
Ianto slid further down, rendering Jack's attempts futile, and licked a trail from Jack’s nipple to his bellybutton. He sat on his knees, pulling Jack’s trousers and pants down in one smooth move. Moving closer, he took Jack’s cock in his mouth.
Jack gasped, surprised by the sudden warmth. He let his head fell back against the wall, moaning softly. His hands were tugging at Ianto’s hair, urging him to move.
Ianto quickly brought him to the edge, pulling back before he was able to come. “Ianto, please…”
Ianto sat back on his heels and smiled smugly. “Yes, Jack?”
Jack bucked his hips towards where Ianto’s face had been a few moment before. “Please, just…”
Taking mercy on Jack, Ianto leaned forwards again, blowing cold air on the wet, taut skin. He took Jack’s cock in his mouth, slowly bringing him off by swirling his tongue and hollowing his cheeks.
Jack expected Ianto to pull away again when he felt his balls tighten. Instead, Ianto swallowed every drop. When he came down from his high, Jack found himself slumped back against the wall.
After he regained his sense of equilibrium, he pulled Ianto up and led them up the stairs to Ianto’s bedroom.
Epilogue
A/N: Don't let fics fool you, always have safe sex.
Author:
meloenijs
Prompt: The Holiday
Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Rhys, (past Gwen/Owen, side: Rhys/Janet, Owen/Diane)
Rating: R
Spoilers: Only if you've never seen The Holiday. Character backgrounds for Torchwood.
Word Count: 13.850
Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine, I’m merely borrowing them. Torchwood owned by the BBC, The Holiday owned by Columbia Pictures and Universal Pictures.
Beta by:
janiemc
A/N: Written for
reel_torchwood. Any views expressed about tea are not my own and should not be taken seriously.
Summary: Gwen and Jack both have trouble with love. They decide to house-swap. Will it finally lead them to real love?
I woke up in a pitch black room, fumbling around blindly to find the buttons to control the sunscreens. Light burst into the room through the large windows, I shut my eyes against the onslaught. The ringing phone rushed away the latest slumbers of sleep. Grabbing it quickly, I fell back into the bed.
“Hello?”
“Where am I finding you?”
“Owen.” Damn. I knew he’d find a way to get back into my mind.
“I’m having some problems with a section of my book. Is it okay if I send you some pages?” How could I deny the man anything? “Well… If you need me.”
“You know you’re my survival kit. I’m sending you the pages tomorrow, look for them, will you? Have fun today.”
“Okay,” I mumbled. Sod it, I’m going back to sleep. Sunscreens down, hello-o oblivion.
-----
Ianto went into his local pub, searching out a certain tall brunette. He went through the mass of bodies, his hope smashed when he saw no sign of Jack.
“Ianto!” His friends called out to him.
Sighing, he gave up and turned around to meet them. John Smith and Harold Saxon had known each other for years, but they had only been together for a few months.
“Hey John, Harry,” he greeted. “How are you?”
Their answer went unheard as he caught sight of a pair of startling blue eyes. He stood up to make sure he saw it correctly, excusing himself with his friends. Jack waved at him, smiling broadly. Ianto sat back down and beckoned Jack over, inviting him to join them at their table.
-----
I was driving through the neighbourhood to explore a bit when I saw the old lady who’d passed the house yesterday. She looked a bit lost, so I pulled over next to her.
“Excuse me. Can I offer you a lift home?” I never could resist someone who needs help.
“Why? Do you know where I live?” Her accent sounded vaguely English, as if she’d been trying not to let the more brash American accent dominate her speech.
“I believe I do, yes.” She probably lived next to me.
“Good, that makes one of us.” I smiled nervously at that in response.
I pulled onto the driveway of yet another massive house, complete with gate and semi-forest. I couldn’t help feeling like a provincial girl when I gasped.
“Your house is lovely!”
“I’ve lived here for so long now. It’s changed so much, when I first came here there were only six houses. But they keep building and building. That’s how I got confused. I didn’t recognise one house.”
“That would be very confusing,” I agreed.
She fumbled with the door, unable to open it, so I stepped out of the car and opened the door for her. I handed her the walking rack and walked her to the door. She reached out a trembling hand to try and get the key in the lock.
“Here, let me.” I took her keys and opened the door, feeling once again overwhelmed by the luxury.
I spotted a messy bureau through an open door on my left, with large posters of the Cottingley fairies hung up on the walls. On one of the shelves stood a few prestigious looking awards. Impressed, I turned back to the living room where Estelle was straightening her coat. The room was covered in bits and pieces of old cameras, with a rare functional one in between. The walls were covered in more black and white photos.
“Goodbye then. I enjoyed meeting you,” I said, then gathered all my courage and continued.
“You know, I hope you don’t find this strange, but I was thinking of going out for dinner tonight, and if you’re not busy, would you like to join me?”
Estelle looked mildly shocked and replied, “Oh my dear, the only one who ever keeps me busy would be Moses, my old cat. He’s around here somewhere. But I’d love to go with you.”
“I was just there to deliver a message, but their photographer hadn’t shown up and since I’d always dabbled a bit in photography, I’d found myself my first real job.”
“That’s amazing. I didn’t think things like that actually ever happened. It feels straight out of a film.” Estelle was incredible. She’d been telling entertaining stories about her work in photography and documentary the whole evening. Apparently, she had been behind the documentary that proved the girls who took the Cottingley pictures were correct, and that fairies did in fact exist, living peacefully amongst us in the forests.
“I know,” Estelle smiled, “but Gwen dear, I’ve been wondering what a girl like you is doing with an old woman like me during the Christmas holidays?”
My heart clenched and I felt my throat tighten. “I - just wanted to get away from the people I see all the time. Change of scenery, and all that.” I stared straight into Estelle’s eyes, hoping she’d accept this as the truth.
She didn’t. She just raised her eyebrows at me.
“Well, maybe just one person. My ex-boyfriend who got engaged and forgot to tell me.” I blinked rapidly, trying to force the tears back without success.
“You poor baby. What an idiot to let you go.”
I tried to wipe my eyes subtly with my serviette. “Thanks. He kind of is an idiot, yeah.”
-----
Jack stumbled down the small stairs, groaning and nearly bumping his already thumping head against a beam.
“This is why I normally drink water. I’m not used to drinking this much. How could those friends of yours drink so much and still be sober? I’m convinced they’re secretly aliens.”
He walked into the kitchen where Ianto was brewing coffee. He noticed a familiar pair of boxers lying on a chair.
“Huh. I was wondering where those were.” He looked down at his tracksuit and let his waistband snap. “Although I don’t mind going commando once in a while,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows at Ianto. “So, remind me, did we get up to something last night?”
“We did not,” Ianto looked amused. “I had to half carry you up the stairs and then you passed out on my chest.”
Jack chuckled. “Thank god that was all. I’ve been known to do much worse when drunk. It’s why I stopped."
He slumped into the chair that was graced by his boxers and leaned his head into his hands. Ianto seemed to take pity and offered him a deliciously smelling cup of coffee.
“Don’t worry. It was kind of cute, the way you begged me to stay. And promptly started snoring.”
Jack just groaned.
He felt something vibrating against his elbow, then a piercing ringtone cut through his head, adding to the thumping. He grabbed the phone and glanced at the screen before handing it to Ianto. “Suzie. Sorry, didn’t mean to look. Again.”
“I should probably take this,” Ianto said, walking out of the kitchen.
Jack sighed and picked up his coffee. It really was heavenly. He stood up and wandered over to the window, watching Ianto on the phone outside. Tosh, Suzie, Jack. Ianto sure seemed like a busy fellow. Ianto had told Jack last night he was bisexual, and watching Ianto smile on the phone made him feel slightly jealous. Ridiculous. He didn’t have any claim over the cute Welshman. He sighed again.
Ianto had finished his phone call and turned back to the house, seeing Jack through the window. He smiled and walked back indoors, to the kitchen where Jack was very busy not watching through the window.
“I’m thinking we should go to town, maybe grab some lunch. Get to know each other?” Ianto asked hesitantly. Jack was surprised, hadn’t they agreed not to go any further? “Why?”
“Why not? I like being in your company,” Ianto said.
Jack let Ianto drive, not wanting to repeat the fiasco that was his last attempt. He snuck a glance at the younger man beside him and admired the view. He barely resisted the temptation to trace that cute button nose with his finger. Ianto turned his head and caught his gaze. All they needed to perfect the moment was romantic music playing softly in the background. They both turned their heads forwards at the same time, causing them to laugh softly at each other.
Fancy place for just a lunch, Jack thought. It was the kind of place that would lit candles during the evening and play soft romantic music.
“So you’re the manager of a coffee shop?”
“Yep. I was gifted with the skill to make divine coffee, and it seemed like such a waste not to let mankind enjoy those skills,” Ianto deadpanned.
“What did you study in school? Did you always know you’d do this?” Jack fired his questions at Ianto.
“Jack, I feel like I’m being interrogated. Do you always act like this on the first date?”
“I’m sorry. It’s been a while since I’ve been on a first date. To be honest, I haven’t done a lot of dating in my life.”
“Well, since we’ve slept together twice and had sex once, maybe we can bend the first-date rules a bit for you,” Ianto smiled.
Jack, to his own amazement, actually blushed. “I’ll just try and be myself. Can’t be too difficult."
“Your turn now,” Ianto smirked. “What do you do? You said you were a Captain?”
“I used to be a Captain in the RAF but I quit after an accident.”
Jack paused to take a sip of his drink and gather his thoughts. It was years ago, but he still felt guilty about what had happened.
“I talked my friend into joining with me. Told him it would be an adventure - we would be heroes. He got shot down.”
Jack paused again and looked into Ianto’s eyes. He didn’t see the pity he so thoroughly hated, only understanding. He took a deep breath and continued.
“After I left, I started a company, Torchwood, that tracks CCTV and alerts the police when and where they’re needed. I built it from the ground up, it’s a bit my pride and joy.”
“Wow. You do realise I’m a little intimidated now, right?”
Jack smiled. “As long as you’re careful in Los Angeles, I don’t see a problem.”
“What about your family?”
Jack’s eyes darkened slightly before he looked away. “I don’t have any. My father and brother died in an armed robbery and I was the only one who survived. My mother couldn’t handle the loss so she committed suicide.”
Ianto leaned over the table and caught Jack’s hand in his own, rubbing small circles over the knuckles. “I’m sorry. God, that must have been awful.”
“She was kind enough to wait ‘till I was eighteen,” Jack cleared his throat and quickly continued, “Let’s order.”
Ianto continued rubbing small, soothing circles over the back of Jack’s hand throughout lunch, only pausing to gobble down his own meal. They moved on to lighter subjects, laughing and generally having a good time. After lunch they went for a walk through Bute Park, following the trail of the river Taff. Deciding against taking the Aquabus down to the Bay, they walked farther into the park, resting on one of the benches in an open spot.
Jack snuggled into Ianto, enjoying the warmth of the younger man. He was slowly but surely losing his heart to the charming Welshman, although he kept denying it to himself.
Ianto stopped the car in front of the house, undoing his belt to walk inside with Jack. Jack turned and said, “It’s okay, you know. I won’t die if you let me walk those twenty metres alone.”
“You could just tell me if you don’t want me to come inside,” Ianto responded.
“It’s not that, Ianto. But I’m leaving in nine days and this is getting complicated. I’m not sure I’m ready for complicated.”
Ianto took it in well. “Okay. I can see where you’re coming from. I promise I won’t be drunkenly banging on your door any time soon.”
Jack smiled at that. “I’ll see you again, though. We’ll work something out, okay?”
Ianto nodded, and Jack left the car. He turned around, pretending to slip on the ice, then winked and mouthed to Ianto, “Not dead yet.”
Ianto chuckled, giving Jack a small wave when he entered the house. He stared at the closed door with a forlorn look in his eyes.
-----
There was someone knocking on the door. Silently, I cursed myself for not closing the gate after all my guests arrived. I opened the door, prepared to shoo away some religious nutter.
“Hi. Hope I’m not interrupting something,” Rhys said, indicating my clothes.
“No, no… the more, the merrier,” I stuttered. What was it about this man that made me so nervous?
“This FedEx was leaning on the gate. From the metropolis Cardiff, Wales.”
“Oh, yeah, I’m helping a friend with his book, I give him notes sometimes.” There was a letter attached with a paperclip. My heart jumped a little, hoping it held a personal message. I pulled it off, merely to discover the only thing printed on it was Owen’s name. I turned it around, vaguely hoping he’d written something on the backside. Nothing. My heart plummeted into my stomach.
I tried to ignore the feeling and invited Rhys along to the party. Estelle had rounded up some of her friends in the knowledge that I still didn’t know anyone here. We were having a fairy themed party, which sounds worse than it actually is. I had to admit though, now Rhys was here I felt fairly ridiculous dressed up in the fairy wings.
Rhys accepted the invitation and followed me through the hallway to the large dining room. I threw Owen’s notes on a table, they could wait.
Estelle and her friends were getting pretty sloshed, and I wasn’t much better. Rhys was courteous enough not to mention anything though. What a sweet man.
We were currently on the topic of Estelle’s army sweetheart. She’d met him in England, but he was stationed across the pond during the war. He was one of the reasons she’d decided to try her luck in America. She never found him again, and years later she heard he’d died as a hero, saving his men from a surprise attack during a routine training exercise.
“But what about you, Rhys? Haven’t found a pretty American girl yet?” one of Estelle’s friends asked. Rhys shook his head in mock exasperation, blushing slightly. “Well, I’ve been seeing Janet for three months, she’s an actress, and let me tell you, I’m one lucky guy!”
“Oh, she’s an actress. Anything we would have seen?”
“She hasn’t done that much yet, but she’s filming right now in New Mexico.”
“Her loss is our gain. I wish young men like you came to our parties more often.” She actually winked at him. I might be mentally scarred for life. Although I too was glad he’d dropped by, he’d really brightened up the party with his cheerful nature.
“Girls, I think we should be off and leave these young folks,” Estelle said. I could kiss her at that moment. After I’d seen everyone off, I turned to Rhys. He was gazing off in space.
“This was an amazing night. I’ve always admired Estelle Cole for her role in the increased awareness of fairies. It was such a life-turning discovery, and thanks to her everyone just accepted it instead of freaking out,” he shook his head in amazement.
I smiled and nodded. “I know. And she’s so modest about it. She’s an amazing woman.”
“As are you,” Rhys said softly. He blushed immediately, and moved around me to the door. “I had a great evening. Those chocolate covered macaroons were delicious.” He leaned towards me and gave me a quick peck on the cheek. “Good night.”
I squashed the fluttering butterflies in my stomach and opened to door to let him out. “I enjoyed it too.” Suddenly I remembered why he’d initially come here. “Hold on a second, I’ll get you John’s laptop.”
I’d placed it on the stairs in the hallway earlier today just in case Rhys happened to pop by, then completely forgot about it.
“Here you are,” I pushed the laptop in Rhys’ hands.
“Thanks.” He leaned in and kissed me again on my cheek. “Oh, I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to kiss you twice.”
“No problem.” If you didn’t count a fluttering stomach as a problem.
Rhys walked to his car, nearly getting blown over by the wind.
“It’s officially crazy weather. And we thought Wales was bad.”
I laughed, waving as Rhys turned his car and left.
-----
Jack sat in the bath, contemplating what he’d said earlier. ‘I’m not sure I’m ready for complicated?’ What was he thinking? Here he had a gorgeous and willing man, and he’d just let him go. And for what reason? So he’d just broken up with John, yes, but that had been over long before, they’d just not admitted it. He groaned. John was right, he did screw up every relation he ever had.
Taking a decision, he jumped out of the bath.
Deciding to take the risk of driving the car, he programmed the address in the SatNav.
Luckily, he didn’t have to go far. He stopped outside a rustic house, praying the gate wasn’t locked. It wasn’t, and he stepped through it into a neat front garden. Walking up to the front door, he ignored all his doubts. He hesitated a few moments before pressing the doorbell. He could do this.
Ianto opened the door, stepping half outside to block the cold from going inside.
“Surprise,” Jack said. Ianto looked shocked.
“It definitely is, yeah. Hi.”
“I was home alone, and I thought about you. And I realised I’m a fool, and that a little complication never hurt anyone. I should’ve let you come inside.”
Ianto opened his mouth slightly and pulled up one eyebrow. He nervously looked back inside.
“And I just thought,” Jack continued, “maybe… Oh god, you’re not alone, are you?”
Ianto smiled tightly in response and shook his head. “No. I’m not, actually. I’m sorry.”
“Oh. It’s nothing, it’s me who should be sorry, I shouldn’t have disturbed you,” Jack stumbled over his words, and made to turn away.
Ianto opened his front door, revealing a young Asian girl standing in the doorway.
She looked up to Ianto and asked, “Who’s this, Tad?”
Jack was dumbfounded. “Tad?”
“Yes,” Ianto said fiercely, “Jack, this is Tosh, my daughter. Tosh, this is my friend, Jack.”
Tosh glanced up at Jack and solemnly extended her hand. “How do you do?”
Jack shook her hand, and answered “I’m fine, thank you.”
“Would you like to come inside?” Tosh asked.
“No, I should be go-” he broke off as he saw another little girl appear behind Ianto.
Ianto bend down to pick her up. “Who is this, Tad?”
“Suzie, this is Jack. And Jack, this is my youngest daughter, Suzie.”
Jack simply nodded and kept nodding. His mind was reeling.
“Oh, Tosh and Suzie. I see.”
Ianto smiled, as if he knew exactly what Jack had been thinking. “Come in, Jack. It’s warmer inside.”
Jack walked inside reluctantly, looking for signs of Ianto’s wife. This was so not a good idea.
He heard Ianto promising his kids hot chocolate before coming to take Jack’s coat.
“Ianto, are you married?” He’d decided just asking would probably be best.
Ianto briefly closed his eyes. When he opened them they looked so full of sadness, Jack immediately regretted asking.
“I was. She died in a car accident. I tried to pull her out but it was already too late."
Suzie and Tosh broke the moment by asking Jack if he’d brought them something. He gave them each a piece of chocolate, which seemed to satisfy them. He looked up to Ianto, who looked embarrassed.
“I’m sorry. I should have mentioned it sooner.”
“No problem. I heard something about hot chocolate earlier?”
It appeared Ianto could make just as delicious hot chocolate as he could coffee. He moaned softly to convey his pleasure. “God Ianto. How do you do this to me with just a hot beverage?”
Ianto coughed and glanced at his kids. Jack took the hint and shut up.
Tosh climbed on Ianto’s lap, complaining she didn’t have enough marshmallows.
“You have five, like everyone else has.” Tosh wanted to show her mug to Ianto to let him count with her, but she accidentally spilled her chocolate all over his trousers.
“Oh duw, that’s hot.” He put Tosh on the ground and stood up. “Girls, why don’t you go play in your Hub while I change and get cleaned up?”
Ianto walked to his bedroom with Jack in his tow. Jack smirked as Ianto turned around to pretend he had at least a bit of privacy left.
“Nothing I haven’t seen before anyway.” Ianto rolled his eyes but didn’t respond.
“I’m really sorry about disturbing your night,” Jack said. Ianto fastened his belt and turned around to face Jack. “It’s okay,” he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “I should’ve told you, but not many people are that keen on dating someone with two kids. And because they’re adopted, they find it hard to empathise with them. Because they don’t have my DNA? Bullshit.” He clenched his teeth and closed his eyes, frustrated. “Sorry. I shouldn’t be talking like this.”
Jack walked closer and took Ianto’s shoulders, rubbing down his arms in a soothing manner. “Hey. I like your kids,” he pulled Ianto in a full embrace, “And I like you.”
Ianto leaned his head on Jack’s shoulder. “I know,” he mumbled, “but you’re leaving so soon. Why introduce them to someone I may never see again?”
Ianto’s words felt like a pang through Jack’s heart. He didn’t want to be reminded he was just here on a holiday, not when he was holding the perfect man in his arms. Perfect, yet worlds apart. Ianto owned a coffee shop in Cardiff, while he had his own CCTV security company in Los Angeles.
Ianto straightened his shoulders and lifted his head. “Let’s go and make sure the kids haven’t ruined their room.”
The room was still in one piece - as far as that was possible in a children’s room - and Jack had to admit, it was brilliantly decorated. It looked straight from the set of a science fiction movie. The walls were adorned with flashing lights, and tubes were running all over the place. The floor was littered with action figures and miniature spaceships. In the middle of the room stood a massive bed in the form of a rocket, with Tosh and Suzie playing on top with some action figures.
Ianto flushed at Jack’s enquiring look. “My wife was a bit of a science fiction fan. She was particularly fascinated with the Cybermen from Doctor Who, that’s why we have so many of them. I’m afraid she rubbed off on the children.”
“I love it. You can never start too early educating them the wonders of science fiction,” Jack grinned. Ianto rolled his eyes, “Oh god, not another one.”
Tosh called out to Jack to join them in their game. The Cybermen were just about to wipe the Daleks from existence. “You can play the hero, Jack,” she cried enthusiastically.
Jack grinned at Ianto before joining them on the bed.
Jack got tragically shot on Skaro during a stealth mission, but was revived and made immortal through the powers of the Time Vortex. Together, they defeated Davros and the Daleks, letting the Cybermen conquer the galaxy from their base in the Hub.
“Ianto, I think I’m in love with your kids,” Jack declared.
He immediately got a breathtaking kiss in reaction.
-----
Today was a beautiful morning. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing and I was enjoying every moment of it, even the minor hangover from last night. I decided to pop by Estelle to check how she was doing.
Estelle had apparently counted on my coming by, and hadn’t picked up her mail. I tutted at her laziness, but didn’t let it put a damper on my good mood. Searching through the flowerpot for the spare key and getting earth stuck under my fingernails did get a bit at me though, so I threw the mail on her desk maybe a bit more forcefully than I would’ve normally. “Gas company, electricity, fancy-looking envelope… Here you go.”
Estelle took the bills and threw away the fancy letter. Unable to contain my curiosity - I mean, it was a very fancy envelope - I asked her why she threw it away.
“It’s just the same as usual. They always write the same.”
“But what if it’s important?” How could she just dismiss it this easily?
“It isn’t. The Fairy Representatives club wants to celebrate me for some reason.”
I’ll admit it, I nearly gaped. Again.
The Fairy Representatives came up for the Chosen One’s rights and made sure the communication between humans and fairies went smoothly. It was an honour to be chosen for their celebrations - it meant you’d made a profound impact on how Fairies were treated and seen in society. I couldn’t believe Estelle was just throwing it away, so I dove into her bin and fished it out.
“Miss Cole! I cannot believe you would throw away a chance like this. Why don’t you go?”
“Oh Gwen. Who’d come to see me? And how do you suppose I’d get there? I can hardly walk.”
She didn’t know me then. I took her out to the swimming pool, starting lightly. We walked the length together, then I let go of her and encouraged her to walk alone. We kept practising the whole afternoon until I was sure Estelle could drink my blood. I might have accidentally kicked her walking rack out of reach a couple of times.
I was exploring Jack’s study feeling particularly satisfied about how much progress Estelle had made when the phone rang. I picked up, hoping it wasn’t someone important who needed Jack.
“Hey Gwen. How’s it going?”
“Ianto! It’s great. I met a wonderful woman.”
“You surprise me every day. What’s she like?”
“I can be myself with her, she’s brilliant and she’s about ninety years old.”
“You could do worse. Actually, you have done worse.”
“Thanks Ianto. Nice to know I can count on you. She’s actually my neighbour. Or Jack’s neighbour. You should meet Jack, he sounded like a nice guy.”
“Yeah, we’ve met.”
Beep. “Oh bugger, hold on, I have another call.”
“Hello?”
“Gwen, hi, it’s Jack.”
“Hey, how are you? How’s it going?”
“Great, I’m loving it.”
“Brilliant. Listen, can you hold for a second? My brother’s on the other line.”
“Ianto?”
“Yes, he mentioned you’d met.”
“We did, yeah. How is he?”
“Fine, I think. Just hold on a sec.”
“Sorry Ianto, that was Jack.”
“How did he sound? How is he doing?”
“He just asked me how you are. But can I call you back?”
“I can wait while you ask him. I don’t mind.”
“Hey Jack. Ianto’s fine. He asked me how you are.”
“Great. I’m just taking Myfanwy for a walk in town. So what has he been up to?”
“I’m not sure. I can ask him, can you hold?”
“Sure.”
Needless to say, I was getting pretty pissed off. I started shouting.
“I can’t believe you’ve had sex with the man staying in my house! The one thing he asked was if there were any men in town and I assured him there were not!”
“Oh god, did he tell you that?”
“Jack! I thought I was talking to Ianto. Oh bollocks. I must’ve lost him. Can I call you back?”
As soon as I disconnected the call with Jack the phone started ringing again.
“What?”
“It’s Rhys. Did I do something wrong?”
“Rhys! No, sorry I thought you were someone else.”
“What a relief. I was thinking, do you have something to do for Christmas Eve?”
“Not much. I was just about to go down the shops, get some groceries.”
“Want some company?”
“I’d love some.”
Being in Rhys’ company was so uncomplicated and liberating I soon felt my anger for Ianto dissipate. Even going to a shop, something I normally dreaded, was made fun by Rhys’ indomitable cheer. He told me he was quite a decent cook, and we agreed to meet up another day so I could try his famous lasagne. We were in a small grocery store, and just as I finished up and went to the aisle to pay, the cashier ran off to answer his mobile.
Rhys didn’t appreciate it, to say the least.
“He just walked off! He sees us coming, and he walks off,” he shouted. “We’ll just help ourselves then, shall we?” He threw a wad of bills on the counter.
“There you are, keep the change. We’re not coming here again. It’s overpriced anyway.”
I was laughing at him, nearly getting tears in my eyes.
“Rhys the rant,” I nicknamed him. This was another side of him, but I didn’t appreciate it any less. He shook his head again in the direction the cashier had disappeared and took our bags.
“Come on, let’s go.”
We walked out of the shop, pausing in the doorway to orientate where we’d left the car. That’s the moment Janet decided to walk by across the street. With another man. Rhys ran after her, “Janet!”
I could see Janet making a lot of waving motions, indicating herself and the stranger.
Rhys and I drove back to the house in silence. As soon as we entered the living room, he dropped himself into the sofa. “Why do I always fall for the bad girls?”
“You didn’t know that.”
He scoffed. “I knew she wasn’t good. And she ran off with that Brad guy as soon as my back was turned.”
I offered him tea. “Do you have something stronger?”
He’d obviously spent too much time in America if he didn’t use tea to solve his problems, but I switched my offer to a Guinness. He took a sip and groaned.
Telling him I knew how he felt wouldn’t help, so I tried explaining it to him.
“You hope you’re wrong. Every time she does something that tells you she’s not good you ignore it, and every time she comes through and surprises you, she wins you over and you lose the argument with yourself she’s not worth it.”
Rhys stared at me with his mouth open. “Exactly. And there is the classic ‘how would such a girl ever stay with me’?”
I nodded along and we sat in companionable silence for a while.
Rhys sighed and sat up straighter. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t listen to this. I don’t want to ruin your Christmas Eve.”
“It’s okay, I like the company.” I decided to go for it. I told him about Owen, and how everything turned out. I felt better getting it all of my chest, but this was rapidly turning into a sob-fest. Rhys handed me the Guinness, claiming I had more need for it.
He asked me if Owen was the same who’d sent me those pages. When I agreed, he proclaimed Owen a heartless bastard for staying in touch and not letting me get over him in peace. He pulled me off the couch and told me we’d make his lasagne as comfort food.
I don’t think I’ve ever loved a man more than I did Rhys at that moment.
The next day, Rhys went with Estelle and me to get some clothes for the celebration. I’d invited him so we could both think about lighter subjects than heartbreak. His taste was pretty decent, as long as it was for a woman of Estelle’s age. I wouldn’t let him dress me.
-----
Jack was celebrating Christmas alone with Myfanwy. She wasn’t bad company, but he could think of better. He could certainly think of a few who wouldn’t look quite so jealous at his plate of spaghetti.
After a lot of bargaining with security, Jack had managed to get up to the highest rooftop he’d found. He’d always liked heights, despite making him feel insignificant.
He was considering his options with Ianto. Stay here and start anew with the chance of being stuck here when everything went horribly wrong? Or go back to his successful life in Los Angeles, alone. He’d love to stay with Ianto, but John had had a point - he was crap at relationships. Wasn’t it better to go back home while they both still thought of one another fondly?
Jack was packing. Tomorrow, it was time to leave and go back home. The thought filled him with dread. He still wasn’t sure how he felt about Ianto.
Myfanwy heard something and ran downstairs. Jack followed curiously and heard the frantic knocking on his door. He opened the door cautiously to see Ianto standing on the doorstep.
Jack opened his mouth to say something, only to be cut off immediately by Ianto pulling them against each other, letting their mouths meet in a desperate kiss.
Jack barely managed to close the door behind them before Ianto was fumbling with his belt and braces.
-----
Rhys was cooking for me. He certainly seemed to be very fond of pasta, today it was macaroni with cheese.
He’d come over today, declaring that Estelle and I needed the food of champions for tonight. I wasn sure how mac and cheese wins competitions, but it’s the gesture that counts.
We sat around the dining table, enjoying Rhys’ food and generally having a good time. Rhys was currently in the middle of telling an extravagant story about something that’d happened to him and his mate Banana Boat. It was less hard to believe it really happened if you knew Banana, apparently.
When everyone was done, Estelle excused herself and said she’d meet up with us in an hour or two, winking at me behind Rhys’ back.
“Rhys, have I told you you’re an amazing cook yet?” I asked.
“Not today, you haven’t,” he replied, looking pleased with himself.
“Well, you are. As long as you don’t let it get to your head,” I answered in jest.
Rhys acted dramatically shocked and grabbed his heart. “What must you think of me?”
Oh, if only you knew.
-----
They lay panting next to each other.
After their first heated coupling against the door, they’d stumbled into the bed, once again leaving a trail of clothes all over the house.
Ianto spoke up first. “Your technique is indeed quite flawless.”
“Told ya,” Jack smirked.
“So…,” Ianto turned to face Jack, leaning on his arm. “Don’t you have to travel for your work? Maybe to London?”
Jack’s face fell. “Never.” He stared at the ceiling.
“Maybe we can work something out? Long-distance relations aren’t impossible,” Ianto sounded hopeful.
Jack said nothing and kept staring at the ceiling, his whole body tensing up.
After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Jack spoke up. “I don’t think a long-distance relationship would work between us.” He finally turned and met Ianto’s eyes.
“You don’t know what you do to me, Ianto Jones. I don’t think I’d be able to only see you once in a while.”
Ianto groaned and flopped back down on the bed. “So you’re dumping me? Instead of at least trying?”
“Look, we’ll both just end up miserable. I’ll constantly be fretting about you when you’re not with me, and what about the girls? How would they feel about it if you left every so often? So you’ll be feeling guilty about them, and I’ll be prickly and annoying because I don’t want you to leave, and we’ll just split up. Maybe one last phone call. And that would be it. Leaving the both of us feeling like crap.”
Ianto just stared, his face a blank mask.
“And I think it’s better if we leave it at this, and keep our memories untainted. It’s been the most perfect vacation I’ve had Ianto, thanks to you, and I don’t want to lose that.”
Ianto got up from the bed and took his boxers from where they’d carelessly been thrown on the floor. He very carefully didn’t look at Jack while he pulled them on.
“Or maybe that won’t happen. Maybe I’m in love with you, Jack. And maybe I’d really like to spend time with you, however hard it’ll be.” Ianto sighed and threw a glance at Jack before walking out, pausing briefly in the doorway. “Doesn’t matter if you don’t feel the same though. Just forget I said anything.”
Jack gaped at Ianto’s retreating back. That was not what he’d expected. Anger, or relief even, but a declaration of love? He wasn’t sure how to deal with that. Hell, he wasn’t even sure how he felt any more. After thinking everything through he’d been so sure he’d taken the right decision, sparing both of them the heart grief that was sure to follow. Jack groaned and buried his head in the duvet. This was such a mess.
-----
We’d been talking for the past half hour, swapping embarrassing stories and enjoying a chocolate dessert, when Rhys’ phone rang. From what I could hear, Janet had stranded in the middle of nowhere, half an hour away. She desperately wanted her hero to come and rescue her.
I told Rhys he should go, she’d finally seen sense and realised how great he was. Rhys sputtered about dessert, but I could see he was just saying it for the sake of politeness. He was eager to go see Janet, but he promised he’d make it to the Fairy Representation Club later in the evening.
He dropped a kiss on my forehead and assured me once more he’d be there.
I considered pouring a glass of brandy but decided against it. I’d need my wits on me later in the evening.
With nothing better to do, I searched for Owen’s pages and resigned myself to reading through them. I’d just installed myself comfortably in the sofa when my phone rang. I picked up without looking at the display.
Of course it would be Owen calling. I felt terrible for feeling happy he called.
He told me he’d sent a package, and if it had arrived yet? He asked me to check the front gate, just to be sure.
I opened the door to Owen standing there with a present.
“Surprise,” he snapped his phone shut, “I found your Christmas present.”
I’d invited him in albeit reluctantly. I didn’t need this right now. Owen blathered on, talking about how nice this place was and how it suited me. How much he’d missed me. I let him ramble on until I couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Owen, I don’t care anymore. You come here, tell me you’ve missed me, and expect me to just jump back in your arms. And you’re still engaged! You’re just a cheating bastard, and I can’t believe I ever saw something in you. I met someone here, and even though he’s unavailable, he’s shown me how a perfect man should be.”
Despite my hard words I still felt my heart clench. I’d really loved Owen.
Owen’s eyes widened. “You don’t mean that. I came across half the world for you!”
“Yes, I do,” I replied, furious. He was acting so patronizing, as if I were hysterical. “And actually, you’ve never been good for me. You just used me when you wanted, never respected my wishes, and now, when I try to get over you, here you are! You’re such a bastard, Owen, and I hope you’re happy with Diane.”
It felt liberating, getting all that off my chest. I left Owen standing in my kitchen, gaping, to visit Estelle. We had a party to go to.
We barely arrived on time. Estelle had searched a bracelet made out of sculpted rose petals for me, which had been buried underneath a lot of old clothes.
I hurried her through the check-in, making sure she was sat comfortably, and went into the room to search for Rhys. I hadn’t expected quite this many people though. There must’ve been at least two hundred, probably more, and all were there for Estelle. I felt so proud of her at that moment.
I couldn’t locate Rhys and went back to the lounge, picking up Estelle to walk her in. The moment the doors opened and she saw the crowd, she gasped and wavered slightly. I offered her a smile, and we proceeded. She smiled and nodded at everyone. I handed Estelle over to someone from the Club when we reached the stage and went to my seat.
The moment Estelle wanted to start her speech, Rhys came running down the aisle. He greeted me panting. “Hey. Sorry I’m late.”
“You made it, that’s what matters,” I smiled.
“Gwen?” Rhys asked midway through Estelle’s speech. “What are you doing on New Year’s Eve?”
“I’ll be back in Wales by then.” Was it my imagination or was that a disappointed look on his face?
“You know… It’s been a while since I’ve visited my family in Wales,” he said hesitantly.
“Oh?” Very eloquent reply, Gwen.
“If I’m in Wales, will you go out with me for New Year’s Eve?”
I kissed him in reply.
-----
The taxi was waiting. Jack knew he was loitering, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave the house. He sighed and gave up. He took his last suitcase and put it in the boot of the cab.
His mind was filled with thoughts of Ianto during the drive. Their goodbye hadn’t been how he’d imagined it, and certainly not how he’d wanted it to go. Ianto’s declaration of love kept replaying through his mind. He’d considered everything it meant the past night.
Jack had thought about how he felt, but the only thing that came up was confusion.
He opened his eyes and looked out of the window. Too late now to change it, he was leaving. Soon it wouldn’t matter anyway.
The car turned into a very familiar looking street. As they passed Ianto’s house, Jack’s brain caught up with his heart.
“Stop! Could you wait here?” He didn’t wait to hear the answer, jumped out of the car and ran to Ianto’s house, uncaring about his baggage. He burst through the gate and started knocking on the front door like a madman. After what seemed like an eternity, the door opened on a crack.
A scruffy looking Ianto peeked through and arched an eyebrow when he saw Jack.
“Ianto! Please listen to me. I realise I have serious commitment problems, but I’d like to try this with you,” Jack pleaded.
Ianto hung in the door opening and let out a long-suffering sigh. “Look Jack, I appreciate it but you don’t have to do this. If you think it’s not going to work out, fine. I respect your opinion.”
“No, Ianto, I really want to do this. I want us to have a relationship, I want to be with you. I want to hear you read stories to your children at night, I want to play Captain Jack with them, I want to come home to you in the end of the day,” Jack tried to get closer to Ianto, blocked by the door. He lifted his arm to cup Ianto’s cheek in his hand, relishing the feel of stubble against his palm. “I want to be yours, and you to be mine.”
Ianto’s face remained blank, and Jack started to worry. Then, his lips curved into a smile.
“Those have to be the most cheesy lines I’ve ever heard,” Ianto joked. He opened the door further and pulled Jack closer. “Good thing I like cheese,” he mumbled before launching an attack at Jack’s mouth.
When they both pulled back for air, Ianto tugged at Jack’s coat and led him further into the house, pushing the door closed with his foot. They came to a stop in the middle of the hall, kissing ferociously. Something niggled at the back of Jack’s mind.
“Ianto?” he asked in the other man’s mouth.
“Hmm?” Ianto started nuzzling the nape of Jack’s neck.
“Aren’t your kids gonna see us if we stay here?” Jack asked after a few moment, nearly rendered speechless by the sensation of Ianto licking his neck, his stubble scraping over Jack’s skin.
Ianto softly bit at Jack’s neck before answering. “They’re staying with Lisa’s parents a couple of days.”
That was all the encouragement Jack needed to let out a groan of pleasure.
Ianto placed kisses all over Jack’s throat, marking him while slowly undoing the buttons of the older man’s shirt. He slid down the braces and yanked out the slip of Jack’s shirt. He moved the actions of his mouth to lower regions. Fumbling with Jack’s belt and flies, he sucked gently on a nipple, looking up and straight into Jack’s eyes.
Jack was panting heavily and moved slightly to lean back against the wall. He brought his hands up to slide through Ianto’s short hair, leaving one hand grasping the strands while the other tried to slip under Ianto’s waistband.
Ianto slid further down, rendering Jack's attempts futile, and licked a trail from Jack’s nipple to his bellybutton. He sat on his knees, pulling Jack’s trousers and pants down in one smooth move. Moving closer, he took Jack’s cock in his mouth.
Jack gasped, surprised by the sudden warmth. He let his head fell back against the wall, moaning softly. His hands were tugging at Ianto’s hair, urging him to move.
Ianto quickly brought him to the edge, pulling back before he was able to come. “Ianto, please…”
Ianto sat back on his heels and smiled smugly. “Yes, Jack?”
Jack bucked his hips towards where Ianto’s face had been a few moment before. “Please, just…”
Taking mercy on Jack, Ianto leaned forwards again, blowing cold air on the wet, taut skin. He took Jack’s cock in his mouth, slowly bringing him off by swirling his tongue and hollowing his cheeks.
Jack expected Ianto to pull away again when he felt his balls tighten. Instead, Ianto swallowed every drop. When he came down from his high, Jack found himself slumped back against the wall.
After he regained his sense of equilibrium, he pulled Ianto up and led them up the stairs to Ianto’s bedroom.
Epilogue
A/N: Don't let fics fool you, always have safe sex.