Title: Drinks, After
Author:
ethareiRating: G
Timeline: set after the end of "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" (201)
Spoilers: the end of Doctor Who season 3, "The Sound of Drums" (312) / "The Last of the Time Lords" (313)
Summary: "Drink, Jack?"
Author's Notes: Going on the content of BBCA's Captain's Blog on where the team went after KKBB.
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all the characters and situations featured therein are the property of Russell T. Davies, the BBC and their affiliates. I’m only borrowing them for purely non-profit, recreational purposes.
Written for:
horizonssing,
Day #10.
Summer Rain
Ingredients:
2 Shots De Kuyper Cranberry Liqueur
Top up Apple Juice
Method:
Half fill a highball glass with cubed ice. Pour in the De Kuyper Cranberry Liqueur. Top up with apple juice. Add a squeeze of lime juice. Muddle the ingredients together in the glass. Garnish with a slice of lime.
Drinks, After
by Etharei
“Look, I’m the doctor here and I declare that I’m clear to drink a bit of alcohol,” shouts Owen from his chair, his flailing arms nearly dislodging Tosh where she was changing his bandages. “Now give me the damn drink!”
Jack watches as Ianto sighs, but hands Owen a tall glass filled with some apple-scented concoction. He’s on the other side of the room, hovering around the bar, eyes on his team. Not sure why he’s surprised by this: the wearyingly familiar feeling of a soldier come home from a long war, finding family and life no longer fitting like he remembers. It’s inevitable, after everything. But then, after everything, perhaps he can be forgiven for wanting a slice of familiarity.
“You didn’t really give him alcohol, did you?” Gwen is asking Ianto, out of earshot of Owen but not of Jack.
Ianto makes a face at her. “Of course not. Just substituted the liqueur.” He gives Gwen her own glass. Near the window, Tosh berates Owen yet again for moving too much and making her task more difficult. Gwen moves in to support her, and seeing Owen defending himself against a two-sided verbal assault has Jack smiling fondly.
“Drink, Jack?”
He turns in surprise at Ianto’s voice, automatically taking the proffered glass. Sips. “This is good.”
Ianto looks mildly offended that Jack thought Ianto would serve him anything that wasn’t. “Summer Rain. Two shots De Kuyper cranberry liqueur, apple juice, and a squeeze of lime.” He gestures towards the team with the hand holding his own drink. “The day after Gwen got engaged, she treated us all to drinks. We went out to a pub, and at some point we decided to order one round of a drink we’ve never had before. This was it.”
Jack nods, smiles appreciatively at Ianto. He’d thought about Ianto often, during the year on the Valiant that he’s already pushing back to the obscuring, forgetting dark at the back of his head. The young man who, more than the rest of the team, deserves a better lot than the one Jack and Torchwood have given him. Jack thinks, maybe, that he would answer Ianto’s questions, the ones that he can never really answer for Gwen; but, of course, Ianto never asks.
That’s another thing Jack should work on.
“You know, Jack, I reckon Torchwood can afford to pay for two rooms,” Owen semi-shouts, grinning suggestively. “Especially if you file it under rift-related expenses."
“See if I ever let you near the expense forms again, Owen,” retorts Ianto.
Well, it’s not exactly a bad idea. Jack had wanted to get them all a room each while waiting to catch up on themselves in linear time, and was surprised when the team unanimously voted to just share one. But first things first. “Kids, feel free to order anything you want on room service.”
Jack turns to Ianto, offering his arm. “Mr. Jones, would you care to accompany me down for a late dinner? I believe I saw a gorgeous little Italian place past the lobby.”
Ianto’s startled, wide-eyed expression almost makes Jack kiss him right there. “I’d be delighted to, Mr. Harkness,” he replies faintly.
Smiling wide enough to make his jaw ache, Jack steers Ianto toward the door, calling cheerfully over his shoulder, “Don’t wait up!”