A Different Kind Of Naked
“Ianto!” shouted Jack.
It echoed around the hub for a second or so before dull silence took its place.
“Ianto!” shouted Jack even louder.
Ianto appeared at Jack’s office door wearing a scowl.
“Something I can help you with, Sir?” he said through gritted teeth.
Jack scowled back at him. “Are you responsible for putting up these Christmas lights in my office?”
“Fairy lights,” corrected Ianto, pleasantly.
“Whatever,” retorted Jack. “I don’t want them here.” He promptly sat down with a pout and opened a folder.
“But it’s Christmas,” said Ianto dryly. “And they’re pretty.”
Jack shot him a warning glare. “I don’t want them,” he said again, this time more petulantly. He turned a page that he clearly hadn’t read and continued to feign being busy.
Ianto stepped further into the office and admired his handy work. Multi-coloured fairy lights were laced across the roof of Jack’s office in an arch. It had taken him some time to arrange them just right. And he was damned if he was going to take them down before they’d had their due.
He went closer to Jack who was sulking into the folder’s index.
“I’m busy,” mumbled Jack.
“That’s the feeding list, Jack,” said Ianto. “Detailing how we feed our alien captives. Why are you studying it?”
Jack slapped the folder down on his desk and Ianto flinched. “I need to know...something,” he lied.
Undeterred, Ianto moved closer. “The lights are pretty, Jack. You know they are. Let them stay.”
Jack seemed to be shrinking further and further into his chair. Ianto half sat on the desk and put his hand on Jack’s.
Jack swallowed. “It’s always another year gone, more people gone, more life...”
Before he could continue, Ianto leaned in and kissed him tenderly for a moment, before sitting back up. “But right here, right now,” said Ianto, “I’m with you. And the lights are pretty.” He spoke softly, nursing Jack out of his mood.
Gradually, Jack lifted his head and looked up at the lights. They were like stars - multi-coloured stars, twinkling at him. Ianto watched the colours reflecting in Jack’s watery blue eyes and stroked his hair.
“See, they’re not so bad,” he said gently. Then, to his surprise, Jack leant into him and wrapped his arms around him, holding onto Ianto like a frightened child to its mother. Ianto held him firmly and warmly for several minutes.
“Getting cramp,” said Jack by way of explanation when he pulled back.
Ianto grinned. “So the lights can stay?”
“Yes,” mumbled Jack, still fiddling with the folder.
“Oh goody,” said Ianto before standing up and clapping his hands. “Anyway,” he said cheerfully. “It’s 8pm. Work’s over.”
Jack raised an eyebrow. “Work isn’t over until I say it’s over,” he chided, back to being the boss again.
“Or until the pteranodon sings?”
“Ianto...” warned Jack. Barely a moment passed before they both heard Myfanwy squawk.
“Ha!” exclaimed Ianto. “Hark, I hear the toll of the bell. Shift’s over. Put your pen down.”
Jack looked at Ianto in shock. “Do you wanna go on report?” he asked dangerously, but with a twinkle in his eye.
“No,” said Ianto sweetly. “I want to make hot chocolate with marshmallows and relax for the evening.” He indicated two comfy chairs he’s pushed into Jack’s office, and his plan became evident.
“When did you do all this?” asked Jack suspiciously.
“Earlier,” answered Ianto, without looking at him.
Jack studied his office properly. “Well, I’d say,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “That all of this must have taken you at least an hour. So I’ll be docking an hour’s pay.”
Ianto frowned. Jack smiled wickedly and stood, throwing his pen down.
“Get busy with the hot chocolate,” he said, crossing over to Ianto and plonking himself down in a comfy chair. “I’ll be right here, looking at the stars.”
Ianto’s frown melted into a pout and he obediently left to make the hot chocolate, with Jack sniggering behind him.
15 minutes later, Jack was snoozing in the chair as Ianto arrived with two steaming mugs of cocoa and a bag of marshmallows under his arm. He kicked the door closed to keep the room cosy.
Jack awoke, possibly due to the aroma of hot chocolate, and smiled cheekily at Ianto. He took hold of his mug as Ianto sat in the chair next to him.
“Thank you, my naughty little office angel.”
Ianto scowled. “I can still take that away from you, you know.”
“You wouldn’t,” said Jack with a mock pout which Ianto ignored.
They lay their heads back, perfectly positioned to appreciate Ianto’s display.
“They are pretty,” breathed Jack between gulps of cocoa.
Ianto sighed happily. “Told you,” he said, sipping his drink and passing Jack the marshmallows.
Several silent minutes passed as their drinks cooled and they both relaxed into the chairs. Then Jack spoke.
“Are the doors locked?”
“Yes,” said Ianto.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes! Why?”
“I don’t want anyone finding us like this,” muttered Jack.
Ianto raised an eyebrow.
“Gwen caught us at it in the hot house and you found it funny. We’re drinking hot chocolate and you’re scared someone might see?”
“It’s a different kind of naked,” explained Jack, shoving a couple of marshmallows into his mouth to see how soon they’d melt.
Ianto chuckled and sat back into the chair. His finger tips soon found Jack’s and then they were holding hands.
“I like this kind of naked,” he murmured. Jack smiled to himself and squeezed Ianto’s hand.
They could both see the twinkling lights dancing, long after their eyes began to drift closed.
It echoed around the hub for a second or so before dull silence took its place.
“Ianto!” shouted Jack even louder.
Ianto appeared at Jack’s office door wearing a scowl.
“Something I can help you with, Sir?” he said through gritted teeth.
Jack scowled back at him. “Are you responsible for putting up these Christmas lights in my office?”
“Fairy lights,” corrected Ianto, pleasantly.
“Whatever,” retorted Jack. “I don’t want them here.” He promptly sat down with a pout and opened a folder.
“But it’s Christmas,” said Ianto dryly. “And they’re pretty.”
Jack shot him a warning glare. “I don’t want them,” he said again, this time more petulantly. He turned a page that he clearly hadn’t read and continued to feign being busy.
Ianto stepped further into the office and admired his handy work. Multi-coloured fairy lights were laced across the roof of Jack’s office in an arch. It had taken him some time to arrange them just right. And he was damned if he was going to take them down before they’d had their due.
He went closer to Jack who was sulking into the folder’s index.
“I’m busy,” mumbled Jack.
“That’s the feeding list, Jack,” said Ianto. “Detailing how we feed our alien captives. Why are you studying it?”
Jack slapped the folder down on his desk and Ianto flinched. “I need to know...something,” he lied.
Undeterred, Ianto moved closer. “The lights are pretty, Jack. You know they are. Let them stay.”
Jack seemed to be shrinking further and further into his chair. Ianto half sat on the desk and put his hand on Jack’s.
Jack swallowed. “It’s always another year gone, more people gone, more life...”
Before he could continue, Ianto leaned in and kissed him tenderly for a moment, before sitting back up. “But right here, right now,” said Ianto, “I’m with you. And the lights are pretty.” He spoke softly, nursing Jack out of his mood.
Gradually, Jack lifted his head and looked up at the lights. They were like stars - multi-coloured stars, twinkling at him. Ianto watched the colours reflecting in Jack’s watery blue eyes and stroked his hair.
“See, they’re not so bad,” he said gently. Then, to his surprise, Jack leant into him and wrapped his arms around him, holding onto Ianto like a frightened child to its mother. Ianto held him firmly and warmly for several minutes.
“Getting cramp,” said Jack by way of explanation when he pulled back.
Ianto grinned. “So the lights can stay?”
“Yes,” mumbled Jack, still fiddling with the folder.
“Oh goody,” said Ianto before standing up and clapping his hands. “Anyway,” he said cheerfully. “It’s 8pm. Work’s over.”
Jack raised an eyebrow. “Work isn’t over until I say it’s over,” he chided, back to being the boss again.
“Or until the pteranodon sings?”
“Ianto...” warned Jack. Barely a moment passed before they both heard Myfanwy squawk.
“Ha!” exclaimed Ianto. “Hark, I hear the toll of the bell. Shift’s over. Put your pen down.”
Jack looked at Ianto in shock. “Do you wanna go on report?” he asked dangerously, but with a twinkle in his eye.
“No,” said Ianto sweetly. “I want to make hot chocolate with marshmallows and relax for the evening.” He indicated two comfy chairs he’s pushed into Jack’s office, and his plan became evident.
“When did you do all this?” asked Jack suspiciously.
“Earlier,” answered Ianto, without looking at him.
Jack studied his office properly. “Well, I’d say,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “That all of this must have taken you at least an hour. So I’ll be docking an hour’s pay.”
Ianto frowned. Jack smiled wickedly and stood, throwing his pen down.
“Get busy with the hot chocolate,” he said, crossing over to Ianto and plonking himself down in a comfy chair. “I’ll be right here, looking at the stars.”
Ianto’s frown melted into a pout and he obediently left to make the hot chocolate, with Jack sniggering behind him.
15 minutes later, Jack was snoozing in the chair as Ianto arrived with two steaming mugs of cocoa and a bag of marshmallows under his arm. He kicked the door closed to keep the room cosy.
Jack awoke, possibly due to the aroma of hot chocolate, and smiled cheekily at Ianto. He took hold of his mug as Ianto sat in the chair next to him.
“Thank you, my naughty little office angel.”
Ianto scowled. “I can still take that away from you, you know.”
“You wouldn’t,” said Jack with a mock pout which Ianto ignored.
They lay their heads back, perfectly positioned to appreciate Ianto’s display.
“They are pretty,” breathed Jack between gulps of cocoa.
Ianto sighed happily. “Told you,” he said, sipping his drink and passing Jack the marshmallows.
Several silent minutes passed as their drinks cooled and they both relaxed into the chairs. Then Jack spoke.
“Are the doors locked?”
“Yes,” said Ianto.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes! Why?”
“I don’t want anyone finding us like this,” muttered Jack.
Ianto raised an eyebrow.
“Gwen caught us at it in the hot house and you found it funny. We’re drinking hot chocolate and you’re scared someone might see?”
“It’s a different kind of naked,” explained Jack, shoving a couple of marshmallows into his mouth to see how soon they’d melt.
Ianto chuckled and sat back into the chair. His finger tips soon found Jack’s and then they were holding hands.
“I like this kind of naked,” he murmured. Jack smiled to himself and squeezed Ianto’s hand.
They could both see the twinkling lights dancing, long after their eyes began to drift closed.