GET BACK ON THE HORSE THAT BIT YOU
Characters: Jack, Ianto, brief Team at the end
Pairing: early beginnings of Jack/Ianto
Rating: PG for inference on M/M relationship
Spoilers: General, for series.
Disclaimer: Not mine; they belong to the BBC.
Summary: Jack and Ianto are beginning to feel their way back to the friendship they once had. And maybe to something more.
"You drugged me."
Jack turned from his exploration of Ianto's fridge to give the younger man a cautious look. "I explained that."
Ianto didn't look any less irritated as he leaned against the door jamb. He'd taken the time to put on some pyjama bottoms and had his robe tightly belted, Jack noted with a pang, but he wasn't hunched over with pain any more and there was more annoyance than discomfort on his face, which Jack counted as major gains.
"You said the oil was medicinal. I would never have let you near me if I'd realised that it was also an aphrodisiac," Ianto said coldly.
"And you would be barely functional today and in a lot of pain," Jack pointed out, closing the fridge and turning round to face Ianto completely. "I promised I wouldn't take advantage of you-"
"And then you kissed me!" Ianto said furiously.
"You kissed me back," Jack said, trying and failing to hold down the smile the memory provoked. "Rather enthusiastically, considering the fact that you're apparently living for the day that I die."
"I was drugged," Ianto snapped back, unsuccessfully trying not to blush at the memory. "I would probably have kissed Owen!"
"Now there's a mental image I'd rather not play with," Jack said with a wry smile. "And the oil can only bring out what's already there, Ianto Jones. If you really and truly hated me, you would never have kissed me back." He walked towards him and had the satisfaction of seeing Ianto immediately retreat. "What's the matter: scared I might kiss you again?"
"Leave," Ianto said firmly. "Now. I don't want you in my house, under my roof."
Jack shrugged easily and moved past him, deliberately brushing against him and reaching out a casual hand to touch him lightly on the arm. He smiled as he felt the shiver of response he got. "For what it's worth, I felt it too," he whispered.
Ianto's eyes flared and he shoved Jack away from him. "Out!" he snarled. "Now!"
OOOO
Ianto didn't arrive at the Hub until the afternoon, but Jack had plenty to occupy himself with. He checked up on Gwen and was annoyed to discover that Owen was already in attendance. He'd been picking up on the vibes between the two of them and thoroughly disapproved. He knew Owen and also knew that the man was highly unlikely to develop any real feelings for Gwen, whereas Gwen was the type to fall in love with him. Rhys didn't look all that happy and Jack spent a little time soothing the man and teasing him out of his uneasiness. He made a mental note to have a chat with Gwen about not letting her real life drift.
Tosh was quiet, but then Tosh was always quiet. It took a little while, but after talking with her, Jack decided that this was a fairly positive quiet. Tosh was processing things and setting them in context. It would probably take a little while for the shadows to clear from her eyes, but she was already looking forward, not backwards. For all of her frailties, Tosh had an inner core of steel that Jack admired a great deal.
Jack got back to the Hub and checked to make sure that no great emergencies had blown up since he'd last been there. Myfanwy was annoyed at having a late meal, but she only jabbed at him peevishly, rather than in a homicidal manner, so he counted that as a plus. Janet and the other Weevil they had in custody tore into the meat like Ianto hadn't fed them the previous night, but he didn't hang around to watch. He'd just settled behind his desk and was trying to find an email that he felt like reading when the Hub door rolled open to reveal Ianto. He was even back in his suits, Jack noted with exasperation as he left his office to glower down at him.
"You're entitled to stay at home for a couple of days after you get mauled by a pack of lunatics, you know."
Ianto gave him a thin-lipped look. "And here I was thinking that the magic alien oil meant that I could function at my job instead of hiding under my bed like a child."
Jack sharpened his gaze. "I'd be worried if you didn't get nightmares," he shot back. "If you refuse to accept what happened to you when you're conscious then the subconscious is going to have a field day."
"Am I to understand that my daily function is less than satisfactory, sir?" Ianto inquired frostily.
"Oh, for-" Jack paused and took a deep breath. "Are you going to take everything I say the wrong way today?" Ianto managed to look politely belligerent and Jack couldn't hold back a laugh. "Okay, okay, I'll stay out of your way and you do whatever ridiculously urgent task brought you in today. Deal?"
After a moment, Ianto nodded. "Deal."
"All right then." Jack nodded decisively and went back into his office. He came back out in seconds, however. "Um, Ianto? That deal doesn't include my going without coffee, does it?"
For the first time in what seemed like an age, Ianto found himself smiling, albeit reluctantly. "Perish the thought, sir." Despite his best efforts, the smile widened when he saw the look of relief on Jack's face. "I'll start a pot now."
OOOO
After two weeks, things had almost got back to normal. Gwen was still favouring her side but the wounds were healing cleanly. Owen was his usual obnoxious self, but he seemed overly protective of Gwen, which rang alarm bells in Jack's head. Tosh, bless her, was back on track and quietly enthusiastic about some piece of tech that had recently surfaced through the Rift.
Ianto... was being Ianto. In spades. If he got any more formal he'd be sending engraved messages asking if they wanted any coffee. Even when he was standing right next to Jack, there were light years between them. The material of his suits were an armour Jack couldn't pierce with a witty remark or suggestive leer. Jack saw the dark circles that appeared under Ianto's eyes and did his best not to say anything, knowing that it would have the opposite effect of what he wanted. He gritted his teeth until they ached. Then Ianto made a mistake with a Weevil that could have easily got him killed if he hadn't been very lucky and Jack decided that enough was enough.
"Come on, I'm taking you home," he told Ianto briskly once they'd contained the Weevil safely in a cell.
"I'm fine," Ianto said stubbornly.
"No, you're not," Jack said calmly. "Either you do this now or I declare you unfit for duty and enforce bed rest under Owen's medical care."
Ianto stared at him in silent outrage, but Jack refused to give ground and Ianto reluctantly gave in. He didn't even quarrel with Jack getting behind the wheel of his car, spending the short journey to his house staring out of the window. The icy calm thawed rapidly when Jack casually followed him inside the house, taking off his coat and hanging it up on the coat-stand in the hall.
"I know my way up to the bedroom, Captain," he said with as much civility as he could manage.
"That's good," Jack said with an easy smile. "Where's Moses?" he asked, strolling into the main room.
Ianto stared after him for a moment before following to find Jack sprawled on one of the sofas. "Make yourself at home," he said sarcastically.
"Thanks, I will," Jack said with a grin, pushing off his boots and toeing off his socks before lifting his feet up on the couch. The grin widened as he watched Ianto struggle to remember his duties as a host. "C'mon, yell and scream at me," he invited. "You know you want to."
After a moment, Ianto managed to suppress the urge to do just that. "Can I get you some coffee?" he asked with a forced smile.
Jack's own grin faded and a frustrated, almost sad, expression took its place. He pushed himself back on his feet and advanced on Ianto, reaching out to grab the Welshman's arms when Ianto automatically retreated. "'Yan, it isn't a crime to let your emotions show," Jack said softly. "It isn't a crime to show weakness, to ask for help."
Ianto pulled himself free smoothly and took a step back. "My name is Ianto," he said coldly. "Only my friends call me 'Yan and my friends are all dead."
Jack sighed and admitted temporary defeat. "Okay, okay, we're still enemies. I'm also your boss and it's my responsibility to make sure that you take care of yourself if you can't be bothered to do it yourself. When was the last time you ate?"
"I had something for lunch," Ianto reminded him frostily, although he shifted uneasily.
"You had a portion of plain rice and some steamed vegetables and you spent most of the time chasing the meal around the container before throwing most of it away," Jack said flatly. "And yes," he continued when he saw the telltale flare in Ianto's eyes, "I have been watching you."
Ianto looked away. "I suppose I need to prove that I can be trusted."
Jack made an impatient noise. "I already know you can be trusted, Ianto. I'm not watching you because of that. I'm watching you because I can see you self-destructing in front of my eyes and I can't figure out how to stop it!"
"I can do my job-"
"Fuck the bloody job!" Jack exploded. "I'm talking about you, okay?" He paused and dragged his hands through his hair, realising that he wasn't getting anywhere by losing control of his frustration. "Pasta okay?" he asked conversationally as he went past Ianto and into the kitchen.
"Um, Captain..." Ianto said in alarm as he followed after.
"Relax, Ianto," Jack laughed. "Even I can cook pasta!"
Twenty minutes later, he peered into the blackened mess at the bottom of the pan and felt a certain sense of genuine injury. "How the hell did that happen?" he asked peevishly. An unfamiliar sound brought him around in a hurry, then he stopped and stared in amazement. Ianto was laughing. Silently, and with both hands clapped over his face in an attempt to muffle the sound, but there was genuine merriment in his eyes. Even though he was delighted at the sight, Jack still felt he had a bone to pick with the universe. "I'm serious, you know!" he said, shaking the spoon in Ianto's direction. "I can cook a pretty mean pasta meal and I was looking forward to dazzling you with my culinary expertise."
"The... the Hub's kitchen runs on electricity, Captain," Ianto finally managed to say, albeit a little breathlessly. "My cooker is gas. It makes a difference."
"It does?" Jack peered again at the pan and sighed. "Yeah, I guess it does. Oh, well, how about cheese on toast?"
OOOO
They ate in the main room, on trays, while watching Carry On Screaming. Ianto introduced Jack to the idea of slicing tomatoes on the toast before covering them with cheese, sprinkling with a little Worcestershire sauce and then toasting everything. Jack was genuinely enthusiastic, demanding thirds, and Ianto felt oddly comforted by having such a loud brash presence in his usually silent house. Moses had come in and claimed one of the sofas for himself, stretching out full length and flicking his plume of a tail while gazing at Jack with feline detachment. To Jack's amusement, Ianto automatically grabbed a cushion and sat on the floor rather than disturb him.
After Carry on Screaming they channel-surfed and idly bickered over one another's choice of programmes. They eventually settled on a re-run of the original series of Star Trek and Jack proceeded to critique Kirk's style and technique until Ianto was laughing despite himself. After a while, however, Ianto started to feel tired and it wasn't long before the inevitable happened and Jack noticed. Ianto blinked as the sound suddenly cut out and he realised that Jack had turned off the TV.
"C'mon, it's time you went to bed," Jack said quietly.
Panic clawed at Ianto's throat. He knew that Jack wanted him sexually. What was ten times worse was the fact that Ianto was forced to admit that he wanted Jack just as badly. He had done, right from the very start. The first time Jack Harkness had breezed through the doors of Torchwood Three, Ianto had been very much aware of the kick of hormones. He'd tried to maintain a professional distance, but Jack was almost as irresistible as he thought he was and Ianto had found himself starting to give in. He'd applied for a transfer to London in a panic, and had thought his doubts vindicated when Jack had let him go without a murmur.
London had been an alien environment, but Ianto had adapted and risen through the ranks rapidly in the two years he had been there. He'd missed Jack dreadfully, though, and he sometimes wondered if he would have fallen for Lisa so completely if he had not been running so determinedly away from the memory of Jack. Then the Battle had happened and Ianto had come back to Cardiff, remembering the deserted chambers deep beneath the base, and he had found Jack just as desirable but infinitely more out of reach.
Now there was no more Lisa and Ianto despised himself for the thread of relief he found inside himself. He tried to tell himself that he was just relieved that she was free from the pain and horror of what had been done to her, but deep inside himself he knew the truth. He lost count of the number of times he had nearly broken towards the end of the year and begged Jack for help. Every time Jack had flirted, Ianto had felt the growing urge to grab the man and kiss him into incoherence.
Jack had killed Lisa. Had murdered her. Had executed her. He had demanded that Ianto do that but had done it himself when Ianto had failed to do so. He'd shown no mercy, no compassion, no empathy whatsoever. He'd threatened to kill Ianto but had unaccountably held off from doing that. Ianto wasn't so arrogant as to believe that was just because Jack wanted to have sex with him. Jack could have sex with anyone he damn well wanted. The idea that he was so desperate for Ianto that he was willing to overlook treachery on the scale Ianto had committed just didn't make sense. But nothing was making sense in Ianto's life any more and he was so tired of that. Of that and the nightmares that twisted his sleep every night until he woke up in the morning feeling like he hadn't slept at all.
Right now he had to keep Jack at a distance. He had to focus on the fact that Jack was a monster. He had to believe that Jack was a heartless killer, because if he didn't do that then he knew he would have to face up to the treacherous little worm in his heart that told him that even if he had succeeded in curing Lisa, he would have left her for Jack if Jack had so much as lifted a finger. He wanted to cling to the illusion that he had been the faithful lover. Hell, he would prefer to cling to the image of the deluded idiot than to have to face up to the truth. That he had worked so hard to save and restore Lisa because he was wracked with guilt over the fact that he had lived while all of his friends and 99.999 per cent of his work colleagues had died.
"I... I can put myself to bed, Captain," he managed to say through dry lips.
"I don't doubt it," Jack agreed. He gave Ianto an easy smile. "Don't worry. There's no oil tonight and I'm too worried about you to give in to temptation."
Ianto sighed and shook his head as he pushed himself to his feet. "I'm not worth worrying about," he mumbled under his breath. The next thing he knew, a pair of arms had slid around him from behind and Jack had pulled him back against him.
"Don't ever say that," Jack said softly in his ear. "Not in my hearing, at least."
He released Ianto before Ianto could react and moved away. He left Ianto alone while he got ready for bed, but appeared as the younger man got into bed. He settled in the chair by the wall and watched as Ianto settled back into bed self-consciously.
"This is ridiculous," Ianto grumbled. "I'm not five years old, you know."
"Oh, I noticed that," Jack said with a swift smile. "Would you like a bedtime story?"
Despite himself, Ianto laughed at that. "Oh, I can imagine what any bedtime story of yours would be like, Captain!"
"Oho, a challenge!" Jack's eyes danced with mischief. "All right, let's see.... Once upon a time, on a planet orbiting a star in the Sagittarius Arm....."
The story was extremely complicated, and seemed to involve identical twins and a talking lizard, not to mention two different calendars that depended on which moon was in the sky. Ianto desperately tried to keep track of what was happening, but there was something utterly compelling and soothing about Jack's voice and he soon drifted off to sleep.
Some time during the night, the nightmares began, but before they could bite down properly, Ianto became aware of a hand on his shoulder and a warm voice in his ear that chased them away and he fell back into a dreamless sleep. When he roused again some time later, he blinked and looked across to see Jack sitting in the seat with Moses on his lap, stroking the cat as he gazed into the flame of a large church candle he had found from somewhere and lit. Jack had turned to meet his eyes and had smiled gently. Ianto fell asleep again, but this time he dreamed of a warm body in bed with him, of murmurs and gasps and cries of passion.
OOOO
Jack was quick to move in to comfort Ianto when the nightmares began and he wasn't even certain that Ianto realised it was him before he had sank back into exhausted sleep. Jack had withdrawn to the seat again and found and lit a large candle to give him some illumination without disturbing Ianto. He was amused to have Moses make an appearance and come and sit on his lap. He sat and stroked him gently, staring into the candle flame and letting his mind drift as he tried to think of a way of fixing the way he and Ianto were.
A faint sound had him looking around to see Ianto lift his head from the pillow to look in his direction. Tousled and sleepy, Ianto looked almost edible, but he also looked vulnerable and trusting. Jack was unexpectedly swamped by a surge of tenderness and he smiled gently. Ianto blinked and settled back in bed, his breathing evening out quickly. When that breathing started to hitch and speed up, Jack expected another nightmare. He chivvied a disgruntled Moses onto the floor and went to chase it away.
Except it wasn't a nightmare.
Reaching out to shake Ianto gently, Jack froze as he heard Ianto moan and move gently in bed. The sound and movements weren't those of someone in the throes of a nightmare. With an intrigued frown, Jack very gently ran a finger along Ianto's jaw and watched the way Ianto turned his head in that direction, his lips parting as he moaned again. A quick look confirmed that he had an erection and Jack's frown became a fond smile. Definitely an improvement on a nightmare, he thought to himself.
Temptation came so fast it had blindsided him before he had a chance to dodge. Even though his conscience was making loud noises about promises and professional distance, Jack couldn't quite resist pressing his lips very, very gently against Ianto's. They parted immediately and Ianto breathed into his mouth as Jack delicately flicked out a tongue to run across Ianto's lower lip.
"Mmmm," Ianto said softly as Jack pulled back regretfully. "Jack," he mumbled as he shifted languorously in the bed.
Jack froze. He hadn't expected that. He'd expected to hear Lisa's name. He couldn't ignore the kick of excitement he felt, but he did manage to pull away before he succumbed to the extremely strong temptation to slide into the bed and take things a lot further. He withdrew to the chair again, and watched as Ianto tossed and burned in the grip of dreams of passion and desire. The problem was going to be in making Ianto admit that he wanted such dreams to come true while he was awake and aware.
OOOO
Jack stared at the slip of paper that Ianto had just handed him. "What the hell is this?" he demanded.
"I believe you'll find that it's a request for some annual leave," Ianto informed him. "Two days, to be precise. Friday and Monday, so I can have a long weekend."
"But you never take time off!" Jack said, well aware that he sounded like an idiot.
"I'm making an exception, sir. I'm fairly confident that the universe will survive the shock," Ianto said dryly.
Jack grinned and tossed the paper to one side. "Granted, without hesitation. Can I ask what you have planned? You can tell me to go to hell," he continued hastily. "I'll bear up nobly under the shattering blow of not knowing."
Ianto snorted. "You're more likely to track my car." He smiled when Jack immediately looked guilty. "It's not really a secret. I thought I'd take a couple of days and go camping."
Jack gave him a sharp look. "Any particular place?"
Ianto sighed and nodded. "The Beacons. I used to run tame up there and I don't like the idea of having that ruined by a bunch to lunatics. I thought if I went out and camped for a couple of days...."
"Getting back on the horse that bit you," Jack said, nodding. "It's the best thing, even if it takes a lot of courage sometimes." He paused and bit his lip. "Ianto... would you mind if you had some company? Separate tents!" he added hastily. "Only.... I know it sounds stupid, but I meant that trip to be a nice gentle introduction for you to field work and I just... well, I wish it could have gone differently."
"Oddly enough, so do I, sir," Ianto said with a small smile. After a moment, he nodded. "Very well, sir. In fact..." He looked like he was going to say something else but very obviously changed his mind. "Never mind." He turned to leave, then paused at the door and looked back. "By the way, sir, it's 'get back on the horse that threw you'."
"Oh?" Jack said in a noncommittal way.
"Yes, sir," Ianto said, giving him another smile before leaving.
OOOO
For once the weather was on their side, warm and sunny without being unbearably hot. Jack was seriously taken aback to realise that he was excited. He was practically bouncing as he made his way down to the garage where Ianto was packing one of the SUVs, which Jack had casually claimed for the weekend. He wasn't even sure if the others realised that he and Ianto were going on holiday. Jack had mentioned that they were both going up to the Brecon Beacons and the others had lost all interest in the trip.
He offered his rucksack to Ianto, then looked around for his tent. He spotted it leaning against the far wall and went to fetch it. He was a little surprised to find that Ianto hadn't stowed it away already.
"Leave it," Ianto said tersely.
Jack gave him a startled look. "Hey, I know I'm tough but I'd sort of prefer to have some kind of shelter for the night!"
"I've packed a two-man tent," Ianto informed him briskly. He paused and gave Jack a stern look. "We have separate sleeping bags, so don't get your hopes up, but it makes more sense to have a single tent. Less work to put up, less room taken up and our combined body-heat will make it cosier."
"Oh, I'm all for cosy," Jack assured Ianto, grinning at the long-suffering look that earned him. "I know, I know: behave."
"That would be nice, sir. It would be a little difficult to explain to the team why you got kicked out of the SUV in the middle of nowhere and had to walk home."
"Threat duly taken on board and taken seriously," Jack assured him solemnly, then spoilt it by grinning happily. "Do we have sandwiches? And ginger beer?"
"Ginger beer?" Ianto repeated in stunned tones.
Jack gave him a woebegone look. "No ginger beer? Ianto, Ianto, Ianto, one should always have ginger beer when one is going on an adventure. In fact that's probably where we went wrong the last time."
"So we ran into cannibals because we didn't bring ginger beer with us?" Ianto asked in an incredulous voice. When Jack nodded vigorously, he leaned against the SUV and laughed. "Oh, right. Well in that case, we'd better make sure we stock up on the way out of Cardiff!"
They drove steadily through most of the morning, stopping off at a lay-by around lunchtime to polish off cheese and pickle sandwiches, cold sausages, boiled eggs, apples and ginger beer. Ianto caught Jack's eye while he was drinking and ended up snorting ginger beer up his nose, which set Jack off.
"I spy with my little eye, something beginning with 'C'," Jack said when they started off again.
"What?"
"I spy with my little eye-"
"Yes, I heard you the first time, but... I Spy?" Ianto gave him a brief but eloquent stare. "Isn't that a bit childish?"
"Not the way I play it," Jack grinned.
Ianto stared out of the windscreen in silence for a moment. "Cloud," he eventually said.
"Nope."
"Cumulonimbus."
"Nope, and that's just another word for cloud."
"It's still a different word."
"Well, it's wrong."
There was another moment of silence. "Concrete?"
"Where?"
Ianto nodded to the left. "Signpost up ahead."
"Oh, right, well it wasn't there when I started this so no."
There was another long period of silence before Ianto sighed. "All right, I give in. I can't see anything starting with C."
"Cow," Jack said in triumph.
Ianto twisted around to stare at him, then hastily switched his attention back to the road. "There isn’t a cow anywhere is sight!"
"Ah, that's because it's an invisible cow," Jack said wisely.
"Oh, you are so bloody dead!" Ianto yelped.
OOOO
Jack sighed happily as he polished off his second helping of stew and looked up to find Ianto watching him intently. "What?" he asked around a mouthful of bread.
"You're... different... out here," Ianto said cautiously. "There's less of a distance to you." He dropped his gaze and looked a little embarrassed.
Jack considered the idea for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, I am. When I'm in the city, I'm surrounded by things that remind me of who I am, where I am and what's expected of me. Out here..." He paused and looked around at the small valley they had found to camp in, with a stand of trees between them and a small stream. "This landscape has been here for hundreds of years. Man keeps a light hand on it and the wild things are paramount. When the sun goes down, the light pollution will be minimal. Out here I can be me and not care what my name is or what my job is. Does that make sense?"
After a moment, Ianto smiled. "It's why I liked camping. You couldn't pretend to be something you weren't at two in the morning if your campsite was flooded or a cow was trampling your tent. Especially if it was an invisible cow."
Jack laughed. "You're not going to let me forget that, are you?"
"No. It means you're going to do the washing up while I put the tent up."
"Sounds fair." Jack gathered up the meal things and went down to the stream to wash up. By the time he got back, Ianto had erected the tent and put their sleeping bags inside. He had gathered some more firewood and had put a pan on to boil.
"Coffee?" Jack asked.
Ianto shook his head. "Hot chocolate."
"But I wanted coffee," Jack whined theatrically.
"With marshmallows," Ianto added.
"But hot chocolate is good," Jack agreed without missing a beat. He threw himself down beside Ianto and looked up at the darkening sky. "I wonder if there'll be a moon?"
"It's currently three quarters full and waxing," Ianto said absently.
Jack rolled his eyes. "I swear if I asked you what underwear Owen was wearing today you'd know the answer." Ianto half-turned his head and opened his mouth as if to answer and Jack sat up, staring at him incredulously. "No! Nonononono." He caught sight of the smirk a second too late and flopped back, scowling. "You're evil," he groused.
Ianto chuckled but concentrated on making the hot chocolate, melting the chocolate buttons in another pan with a little milk before pouring the rest of the cinnamon-infused hot milk onto it and stirring. He was a little taken aback with how comfortable he was with Jack. He'd expected a degree of awkwardness, of sexual tension, and had been regretting the impulse which had made him agree to letting Jack come with him. Jack, however, was treating him as a friend and not a potential lover and Ianto was embarrassed at how much he wanted what was being offered. He was so damn lonely these days. He couldn't remember the last time he'd received a personal email and he sometimes fantasised about joining some kind of discussion board just so he had something to fill up the empty hours.
He carefully poured two mugs of hot chocolate and sprinkled the marshmallows on the top. Tooth decay at twenty paces, but it was a bit of a tradition with him to make the drink and sit watching the sun go down and the stars come out. Lisa hadn't had a sweet tooth and had never done it with him. With a mixture of happiness and fright, Ianto suddenly realised that he was going to share something with Jack that he never had with anyone else. With a blinding smile that obviously took Jack by surprise judging from the wide-eyed look he got in return, Ianto offered him one mug and settled back to enjoy the deep orange and red spectacle of the sun setting.
"Red sky at night..." Jack said softly, settling down beside him.
"We can hope," Ianto said in amusement.
Later on that night, he awoke to find that Jack was sitting outside the tent, staring up at the stars. It was a warm night, unseasonably so, and after a few sleepy moments, Ianto went back into the tent and dragged the sleeping bags outside. While a bemused Jack watched, Ianto opened the two of them out and lay one on the ground before grabbing Jack and making him lie down. Ianto settled down beside him and pulled the other sleeping bag on top of them both.
"Go to sleep," he told Jack with a poke to his chest.
Jack was looking down at him with an odd expression on his face. "I thought you hated me?" he asked softly.
"Not tonight," Ianto said with a yawn. "Tonight I like you a lot. Besides, hating takes a lot of energy and I'm too knackered to do that now. Ask me again in the morning."
"Only if I think the answer will be the same as this one," was the last thing he heard Jack say.
OOOO
They got back to the Hub to find that Gwen had managed to accidentally crash one of the databases and Owen had downloaded some porn that had come free with some pretty interesting viruses which had Tosh swearing his untimely demise if he ever went near that particular site again. Tosh had managed to single-handedly avert a major alien invasion and was pissed off at the other two for not noticing, so she was more than pleased to see Jack and Ianto come back. Ianto had looked around at the rubbish cluttering the Hub and sighed faintly before going to find a black bag. Jack caught up with what Tosh had done and left her pink with pleasure over the well-deserved praise he tossed her way.
"Did you and Ianto find what you went looking for?" she asked.
Jack looked across to where Ianto had opened one of the pizza boxes next to Owen's desk and had raised his eyebrows as he extracted a woman's bra, to Owen's obvious horror. Gwen was looking daggers at Owen and Ianto was trying not to smirk.
"No, but I have an idea that I might find it before too long if I keep trying," Jack said absently before switching his attention back to the reports on Weevil sightings she had ready. "And it'll be worth the wait."
OOOO
Next story in chronological order is If You Had a TARDIS at http://community.livejournal.com/jantolution/36655.html
Pairing: early beginnings of Jack/Ianto
Rating: PG for inference on M/M relationship
Spoilers: General, for series.
Disclaimer: Not mine; they belong to the BBC.
Summary: Jack and Ianto are beginning to feel their way back to the friendship they once had. And maybe to something more.
"You drugged me."
Jack turned from his exploration of Ianto's fridge to give the younger man a cautious look. "I explained that."
Ianto didn't look any less irritated as he leaned against the door jamb. He'd taken the time to put on some pyjama bottoms and had his robe tightly belted, Jack noted with a pang, but he wasn't hunched over with pain any more and there was more annoyance than discomfort on his face, which Jack counted as major gains.
"You said the oil was medicinal. I would never have let you near me if I'd realised that it was also an aphrodisiac," Ianto said coldly.
"And you would be barely functional today and in a lot of pain," Jack pointed out, closing the fridge and turning round to face Ianto completely. "I promised I wouldn't take advantage of you-"
"And then you kissed me!" Ianto said furiously.
"You kissed me back," Jack said, trying and failing to hold down the smile the memory provoked. "Rather enthusiastically, considering the fact that you're apparently living for the day that I die."
"I was drugged," Ianto snapped back, unsuccessfully trying not to blush at the memory. "I would probably have kissed Owen!"
"Now there's a mental image I'd rather not play with," Jack said with a wry smile. "And the oil can only bring out what's already there, Ianto Jones. If you really and truly hated me, you would never have kissed me back." He walked towards him and had the satisfaction of seeing Ianto immediately retreat. "What's the matter: scared I might kiss you again?"
"Leave," Ianto said firmly. "Now. I don't want you in my house, under my roof."
Jack shrugged easily and moved past him, deliberately brushing against him and reaching out a casual hand to touch him lightly on the arm. He smiled as he felt the shiver of response he got. "For what it's worth, I felt it too," he whispered.
Ianto's eyes flared and he shoved Jack away from him. "Out!" he snarled. "Now!"
OOOO
Ianto didn't arrive at the Hub until the afternoon, but Jack had plenty to occupy himself with. He checked up on Gwen and was annoyed to discover that Owen was already in attendance. He'd been picking up on the vibes between the two of them and thoroughly disapproved. He knew Owen and also knew that the man was highly unlikely to develop any real feelings for Gwen, whereas Gwen was the type to fall in love with him. Rhys didn't look all that happy and Jack spent a little time soothing the man and teasing him out of his uneasiness. He made a mental note to have a chat with Gwen about not letting her real life drift.
Tosh was quiet, but then Tosh was always quiet. It took a little while, but after talking with her, Jack decided that this was a fairly positive quiet. Tosh was processing things and setting them in context. It would probably take a little while for the shadows to clear from her eyes, but she was already looking forward, not backwards. For all of her frailties, Tosh had an inner core of steel that Jack admired a great deal.
Jack got back to the Hub and checked to make sure that no great emergencies had blown up since he'd last been there. Myfanwy was annoyed at having a late meal, but she only jabbed at him peevishly, rather than in a homicidal manner, so he counted that as a plus. Janet and the other Weevil they had in custody tore into the meat like Ianto hadn't fed them the previous night, but he didn't hang around to watch. He'd just settled behind his desk and was trying to find an email that he felt like reading when the Hub door rolled open to reveal Ianto. He was even back in his suits, Jack noted with exasperation as he left his office to glower down at him.
"You're entitled to stay at home for a couple of days after you get mauled by a pack of lunatics, you know."
Ianto gave him a thin-lipped look. "And here I was thinking that the magic alien oil meant that I could function at my job instead of hiding under my bed like a child."
Jack sharpened his gaze. "I'd be worried if you didn't get nightmares," he shot back. "If you refuse to accept what happened to you when you're conscious then the subconscious is going to have a field day."
"Am I to understand that my daily function is less than satisfactory, sir?" Ianto inquired frostily.
"Oh, for-" Jack paused and took a deep breath. "Are you going to take everything I say the wrong way today?" Ianto managed to look politely belligerent and Jack couldn't hold back a laugh. "Okay, okay, I'll stay out of your way and you do whatever ridiculously urgent task brought you in today. Deal?"
After a moment, Ianto nodded. "Deal."
"All right then." Jack nodded decisively and went back into his office. He came back out in seconds, however. "Um, Ianto? That deal doesn't include my going without coffee, does it?"
For the first time in what seemed like an age, Ianto found himself smiling, albeit reluctantly. "Perish the thought, sir." Despite his best efforts, the smile widened when he saw the look of relief on Jack's face. "I'll start a pot now."
OOOO
After two weeks, things had almost got back to normal. Gwen was still favouring her side but the wounds were healing cleanly. Owen was his usual obnoxious self, but he seemed overly protective of Gwen, which rang alarm bells in Jack's head. Tosh, bless her, was back on track and quietly enthusiastic about some piece of tech that had recently surfaced through the Rift.
Ianto... was being Ianto. In spades. If he got any more formal he'd be sending engraved messages asking if they wanted any coffee. Even when he was standing right next to Jack, there were light years between them. The material of his suits were an armour Jack couldn't pierce with a witty remark or suggestive leer. Jack saw the dark circles that appeared under Ianto's eyes and did his best not to say anything, knowing that it would have the opposite effect of what he wanted. He gritted his teeth until they ached. Then Ianto made a mistake with a Weevil that could have easily got him killed if he hadn't been very lucky and Jack decided that enough was enough.
"Come on, I'm taking you home," he told Ianto briskly once they'd contained the Weevil safely in a cell.
"I'm fine," Ianto said stubbornly.
"No, you're not," Jack said calmly. "Either you do this now or I declare you unfit for duty and enforce bed rest under Owen's medical care."
Ianto stared at him in silent outrage, but Jack refused to give ground and Ianto reluctantly gave in. He didn't even quarrel with Jack getting behind the wheel of his car, spending the short journey to his house staring out of the window. The icy calm thawed rapidly when Jack casually followed him inside the house, taking off his coat and hanging it up on the coat-stand in the hall.
"I know my way up to the bedroom, Captain," he said with as much civility as he could manage.
"That's good," Jack said with an easy smile. "Where's Moses?" he asked, strolling into the main room.
Ianto stared after him for a moment before following to find Jack sprawled on one of the sofas. "Make yourself at home," he said sarcastically.
"Thanks, I will," Jack said with a grin, pushing off his boots and toeing off his socks before lifting his feet up on the couch. The grin widened as he watched Ianto struggle to remember his duties as a host. "C'mon, yell and scream at me," he invited. "You know you want to."
After a moment, Ianto managed to suppress the urge to do just that. "Can I get you some coffee?" he asked with a forced smile.
Jack's own grin faded and a frustrated, almost sad, expression took its place. He pushed himself back on his feet and advanced on Ianto, reaching out to grab the Welshman's arms when Ianto automatically retreated. "'Yan, it isn't a crime to let your emotions show," Jack said softly. "It isn't a crime to show weakness, to ask for help."
Ianto pulled himself free smoothly and took a step back. "My name is Ianto," he said coldly. "Only my friends call me 'Yan and my friends are all dead."
Jack sighed and admitted temporary defeat. "Okay, okay, we're still enemies. I'm also your boss and it's my responsibility to make sure that you take care of yourself if you can't be bothered to do it yourself. When was the last time you ate?"
"I had something for lunch," Ianto reminded him frostily, although he shifted uneasily.
"You had a portion of plain rice and some steamed vegetables and you spent most of the time chasing the meal around the container before throwing most of it away," Jack said flatly. "And yes," he continued when he saw the telltale flare in Ianto's eyes, "I have been watching you."
Ianto looked away. "I suppose I need to prove that I can be trusted."
Jack made an impatient noise. "I already know you can be trusted, Ianto. I'm not watching you because of that. I'm watching you because I can see you self-destructing in front of my eyes and I can't figure out how to stop it!"
"I can do my job-"
"Fuck the bloody job!" Jack exploded. "I'm talking about you, okay?" He paused and dragged his hands through his hair, realising that he wasn't getting anywhere by losing control of his frustration. "Pasta okay?" he asked conversationally as he went past Ianto and into the kitchen.
"Um, Captain..." Ianto said in alarm as he followed after.
"Relax, Ianto," Jack laughed. "Even I can cook pasta!"
Twenty minutes later, he peered into the blackened mess at the bottom of the pan and felt a certain sense of genuine injury. "How the hell did that happen?" he asked peevishly. An unfamiliar sound brought him around in a hurry, then he stopped and stared in amazement. Ianto was laughing. Silently, and with both hands clapped over his face in an attempt to muffle the sound, but there was genuine merriment in his eyes. Even though he was delighted at the sight, Jack still felt he had a bone to pick with the universe. "I'm serious, you know!" he said, shaking the spoon in Ianto's direction. "I can cook a pretty mean pasta meal and I was looking forward to dazzling you with my culinary expertise."
"The... the Hub's kitchen runs on electricity, Captain," Ianto finally managed to say, albeit a little breathlessly. "My cooker is gas. It makes a difference."
"It does?" Jack peered again at the pan and sighed. "Yeah, I guess it does. Oh, well, how about cheese on toast?"
OOOO
They ate in the main room, on trays, while watching Carry On Screaming. Ianto introduced Jack to the idea of slicing tomatoes on the toast before covering them with cheese, sprinkling with a little Worcestershire sauce and then toasting everything. Jack was genuinely enthusiastic, demanding thirds, and Ianto felt oddly comforted by having such a loud brash presence in his usually silent house. Moses had come in and claimed one of the sofas for himself, stretching out full length and flicking his plume of a tail while gazing at Jack with feline detachment. To Jack's amusement, Ianto automatically grabbed a cushion and sat on the floor rather than disturb him.
After Carry on Screaming they channel-surfed and idly bickered over one another's choice of programmes. They eventually settled on a re-run of the original series of Star Trek and Jack proceeded to critique Kirk's style and technique until Ianto was laughing despite himself. After a while, however, Ianto started to feel tired and it wasn't long before the inevitable happened and Jack noticed. Ianto blinked as the sound suddenly cut out and he realised that Jack had turned off the TV.
"C'mon, it's time you went to bed," Jack said quietly.
Panic clawed at Ianto's throat. He knew that Jack wanted him sexually. What was ten times worse was the fact that Ianto was forced to admit that he wanted Jack just as badly. He had done, right from the very start. The first time Jack Harkness had breezed through the doors of Torchwood Three, Ianto had been very much aware of the kick of hormones. He'd tried to maintain a professional distance, but Jack was almost as irresistible as he thought he was and Ianto had found himself starting to give in. He'd applied for a transfer to London in a panic, and had thought his doubts vindicated when Jack had let him go without a murmur.
London had been an alien environment, but Ianto had adapted and risen through the ranks rapidly in the two years he had been there. He'd missed Jack dreadfully, though, and he sometimes wondered if he would have fallen for Lisa so completely if he had not been running so determinedly away from the memory of Jack. Then the Battle had happened and Ianto had come back to Cardiff, remembering the deserted chambers deep beneath the base, and he had found Jack just as desirable but infinitely more out of reach.
Now there was no more Lisa and Ianto despised himself for the thread of relief he found inside himself. He tried to tell himself that he was just relieved that she was free from the pain and horror of what had been done to her, but deep inside himself he knew the truth. He lost count of the number of times he had nearly broken towards the end of the year and begged Jack for help. Every time Jack had flirted, Ianto had felt the growing urge to grab the man and kiss him into incoherence.
Jack had killed Lisa. Had murdered her. Had executed her. He had demanded that Ianto do that but had done it himself when Ianto had failed to do so. He'd shown no mercy, no compassion, no empathy whatsoever. He'd threatened to kill Ianto but had unaccountably held off from doing that. Ianto wasn't so arrogant as to believe that was just because Jack wanted to have sex with him. Jack could have sex with anyone he damn well wanted. The idea that he was so desperate for Ianto that he was willing to overlook treachery on the scale Ianto had committed just didn't make sense. But nothing was making sense in Ianto's life any more and he was so tired of that. Of that and the nightmares that twisted his sleep every night until he woke up in the morning feeling like he hadn't slept at all.
Right now he had to keep Jack at a distance. He had to focus on the fact that Jack was a monster. He had to believe that Jack was a heartless killer, because if he didn't do that then he knew he would have to face up to the treacherous little worm in his heart that told him that even if he had succeeded in curing Lisa, he would have left her for Jack if Jack had so much as lifted a finger. He wanted to cling to the illusion that he had been the faithful lover. Hell, he would prefer to cling to the image of the deluded idiot than to have to face up to the truth. That he had worked so hard to save and restore Lisa because he was wracked with guilt over the fact that he had lived while all of his friends and 99.999 per cent of his work colleagues had died.
"I... I can put myself to bed, Captain," he managed to say through dry lips.
"I don't doubt it," Jack agreed. He gave Ianto an easy smile. "Don't worry. There's no oil tonight and I'm too worried about you to give in to temptation."
Ianto sighed and shook his head as he pushed himself to his feet. "I'm not worth worrying about," he mumbled under his breath. The next thing he knew, a pair of arms had slid around him from behind and Jack had pulled him back against him.
"Don't ever say that," Jack said softly in his ear. "Not in my hearing, at least."
He released Ianto before Ianto could react and moved away. He left Ianto alone while he got ready for bed, but appeared as the younger man got into bed. He settled in the chair by the wall and watched as Ianto settled back into bed self-consciously.
"This is ridiculous," Ianto grumbled. "I'm not five years old, you know."
"Oh, I noticed that," Jack said with a swift smile. "Would you like a bedtime story?"
Despite himself, Ianto laughed at that. "Oh, I can imagine what any bedtime story of yours would be like, Captain!"
"Oho, a challenge!" Jack's eyes danced with mischief. "All right, let's see.... Once upon a time, on a planet orbiting a star in the Sagittarius Arm....."
The story was extremely complicated, and seemed to involve identical twins and a talking lizard, not to mention two different calendars that depended on which moon was in the sky. Ianto desperately tried to keep track of what was happening, but there was something utterly compelling and soothing about Jack's voice and he soon drifted off to sleep.
Some time during the night, the nightmares began, but before they could bite down properly, Ianto became aware of a hand on his shoulder and a warm voice in his ear that chased them away and he fell back into a dreamless sleep. When he roused again some time later, he blinked and looked across to see Jack sitting in the seat with Moses on his lap, stroking the cat as he gazed into the flame of a large church candle he had found from somewhere and lit. Jack had turned to meet his eyes and had smiled gently. Ianto fell asleep again, but this time he dreamed of a warm body in bed with him, of murmurs and gasps and cries of passion.
OOOO
Jack was quick to move in to comfort Ianto when the nightmares began and he wasn't even certain that Ianto realised it was him before he had sank back into exhausted sleep. Jack had withdrawn to the seat again and found and lit a large candle to give him some illumination without disturbing Ianto. He was amused to have Moses make an appearance and come and sit on his lap. He sat and stroked him gently, staring into the candle flame and letting his mind drift as he tried to think of a way of fixing the way he and Ianto were.
A faint sound had him looking around to see Ianto lift his head from the pillow to look in his direction. Tousled and sleepy, Ianto looked almost edible, but he also looked vulnerable and trusting. Jack was unexpectedly swamped by a surge of tenderness and he smiled gently. Ianto blinked and settled back in bed, his breathing evening out quickly. When that breathing started to hitch and speed up, Jack expected another nightmare. He chivvied a disgruntled Moses onto the floor and went to chase it away.
Except it wasn't a nightmare.
Reaching out to shake Ianto gently, Jack froze as he heard Ianto moan and move gently in bed. The sound and movements weren't those of someone in the throes of a nightmare. With an intrigued frown, Jack very gently ran a finger along Ianto's jaw and watched the way Ianto turned his head in that direction, his lips parting as he moaned again. A quick look confirmed that he had an erection and Jack's frown became a fond smile. Definitely an improvement on a nightmare, he thought to himself.
Temptation came so fast it had blindsided him before he had a chance to dodge. Even though his conscience was making loud noises about promises and professional distance, Jack couldn't quite resist pressing his lips very, very gently against Ianto's. They parted immediately and Ianto breathed into his mouth as Jack delicately flicked out a tongue to run across Ianto's lower lip.
"Mmmm," Ianto said softly as Jack pulled back regretfully. "Jack," he mumbled as he shifted languorously in the bed.
Jack froze. He hadn't expected that. He'd expected to hear Lisa's name. He couldn't ignore the kick of excitement he felt, but he did manage to pull away before he succumbed to the extremely strong temptation to slide into the bed and take things a lot further. He withdrew to the chair again, and watched as Ianto tossed and burned in the grip of dreams of passion and desire. The problem was going to be in making Ianto admit that he wanted such dreams to come true while he was awake and aware.
OOOO
Jack stared at the slip of paper that Ianto had just handed him. "What the hell is this?" he demanded.
"I believe you'll find that it's a request for some annual leave," Ianto informed him. "Two days, to be precise. Friday and Monday, so I can have a long weekend."
"But you never take time off!" Jack said, well aware that he sounded like an idiot.
"I'm making an exception, sir. I'm fairly confident that the universe will survive the shock," Ianto said dryly.
Jack grinned and tossed the paper to one side. "Granted, without hesitation. Can I ask what you have planned? You can tell me to go to hell," he continued hastily. "I'll bear up nobly under the shattering blow of not knowing."
Ianto snorted. "You're more likely to track my car." He smiled when Jack immediately looked guilty. "It's not really a secret. I thought I'd take a couple of days and go camping."
Jack gave him a sharp look. "Any particular place?"
Ianto sighed and nodded. "The Beacons. I used to run tame up there and I don't like the idea of having that ruined by a bunch to lunatics. I thought if I went out and camped for a couple of days...."
"Getting back on the horse that bit you," Jack said, nodding. "It's the best thing, even if it takes a lot of courage sometimes." He paused and bit his lip. "Ianto... would you mind if you had some company? Separate tents!" he added hastily. "Only.... I know it sounds stupid, but I meant that trip to be a nice gentle introduction for you to field work and I just... well, I wish it could have gone differently."
"Oddly enough, so do I, sir," Ianto said with a small smile. After a moment, he nodded. "Very well, sir. In fact..." He looked like he was going to say something else but very obviously changed his mind. "Never mind." He turned to leave, then paused at the door and looked back. "By the way, sir, it's 'get back on the horse that threw you'."
"Oh?" Jack said in a noncommittal way.
"Yes, sir," Ianto said, giving him another smile before leaving.
OOOO
For once the weather was on their side, warm and sunny without being unbearably hot. Jack was seriously taken aback to realise that he was excited. He was practically bouncing as he made his way down to the garage where Ianto was packing one of the SUVs, which Jack had casually claimed for the weekend. He wasn't even sure if the others realised that he and Ianto were going on holiday. Jack had mentioned that they were both going up to the Brecon Beacons and the others had lost all interest in the trip.
He offered his rucksack to Ianto, then looked around for his tent. He spotted it leaning against the far wall and went to fetch it. He was a little surprised to find that Ianto hadn't stowed it away already.
"Leave it," Ianto said tersely.
Jack gave him a startled look. "Hey, I know I'm tough but I'd sort of prefer to have some kind of shelter for the night!"
"I've packed a two-man tent," Ianto informed him briskly. He paused and gave Jack a stern look. "We have separate sleeping bags, so don't get your hopes up, but it makes more sense to have a single tent. Less work to put up, less room taken up and our combined body-heat will make it cosier."
"Oh, I'm all for cosy," Jack assured Ianto, grinning at the long-suffering look that earned him. "I know, I know: behave."
"That would be nice, sir. It would be a little difficult to explain to the team why you got kicked out of the SUV in the middle of nowhere and had to walk home."
"Threat duly taken on board and taken seriously," Jack assured him solemnly, then spoilt it by grinning happily. "Do we have sandwiches? And ginger beer?"
"Ginger beer?" Ianto repeated in stunned tones.
Jack gave him a woebegone look. "No ginger beer? Ianto, Ianto, Ianto, one should always have ginger beer when one is going on an adventure. In fact that's probably where we went wrong the last time."
"So we ran into cannibals because we didn't bring ginger beer with us?" Ianto asked in an incredulous voice. When Jack nodded vigorously, he leaned against the SUV and laughed. "Oh, right. Well in that case, we'd better make sure we stock up on the way out of Cardiff!"
They drove steadily through most of the morning, stopping off at a lay-by around lunchtime to polish off cheese and pickle sandwiches, cold sausages, boiled eggs, apples and ginger beer. Ianto caught Jack's eye while he was drinking and ended up snorting ginger beer up his nose, which set Jack off.
"I spy with my little eye, something beginning with 'C'," Jack said when they started off again.
"What?"
"I spy with my little eye-"
"Yes, I heard you the first time, but... I Spy?" Ianto gave him a brief but eloquent stare. "Isn't that a bit childish?"
"Not the way I play it," Jack grinned.
Ianto stared out of the windscreen in silence for a moment. "Cloud," he eventually said.
"Nope."
"Cumulonimbus."
"Nope, and that's just another word for cloud."
"It's still a different word."
"Well, it's wrong."
There was another moment of silence. "Concrete?"
"Where?"
Ianto nodded to the left. "Signpost up ahead."
"Oh, right, well it wasn't there when I started this so no."
There was another long period of silence before Ianto sighed. "All right, I give in. I can't see anything starting with C."
"Cow," Jack said in triumph.
Ianto twisted around to stare at him, then hastily switched his attention back to the road. "There isn’t a cow anywhere is sight!"
"Ah, that's because it's an invisible cow," Jack said wisely.
"Oh, you are so bloody dead!" Ianto yelped.
OOOO
Jack sighed happily as he polished off his second helping of stew and looked up to find Ianto watching him intently. "What?" he asked around a mouthful of bread.
"You're... different... out here," Ianto said cautiously. "There's less of a distance to you." He dropped his gaze and looked a little embarrassed.
Jack considered the idea for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, I am. When I'm in the city, I'm surrounded by things that remind me of who I am, where I am and what's expected of me. Out here..." He paused and looked around at the small valley they had found to camp in, with a stand of trees between them and a small stream. "This landscape has been here for hundreds of years. Man keeps a light hand on it and the wild things are paramount. When the sun goes down, the light pollution will be minimal. Out here I can be me and not care what my name is or what my job is. Does that make sense?"
After a moment, Ianto smiled. "It's why I liked camping. You couldn't pretend to be something you weren't at two in the morning if your campsite was flooded or a cow was trampling your tent. Especially if it was an invisible cow."
Jack laughed. "You're not going to let me forget that, are you?"
"No. It means you're going to do the washing up while I put the tent up."
"Sounds fair." Jack gathered up the meal things and went down to the stream to wash up. By the time he got back, Ianto had erected the tent and put their sleeping bags inside. He had gathered some more firewood and had put a pan on to boil.
"Coffee?" Jack asked.
Ianto shook his head. "Hot chocolate."
"But I wanted coffee," Jack whined theatrically.
"With marshmallows," Ianto added.
"But hot chocolate is good," Jack agreed without missing a beat. He threw himself down beside Ianto and looked up at the darkening sky. "I wonder if there'll be a moon?"
"It's currently three quarters full and waxing," Ianto said absently.
Jack rolled his eyes. "I swear if I asked you what underwear Owen was wearing today you'd know the answer." Ianto half-turned his head and opened his mouth as if to answer and Jack sat up, staring at him incredulously. "No! Nonononono." He caught sight of the smirk a second too late and flopped back, scowling. "You're evil," he groused.
Ianto chuckled but concentrated on making the hot chocolate, melting the chocolate buttons in another pan with a little milk before pouring the rest of the cinnamon-infused hot milk onto it and stirring. He was a little taken aback with how comfortable he was with Jack. He'd expected a degree of awkwardness, of sexual tension, and had been regretting the impulse which had made him agree to letting Jack come with him. Jack, however, was treating him as a friend and not a potential lover and Ianto was embarrassed at how much he wanted what was being offered. He was so damn lonely these days. He couldn't remember the last time he'd received a personal email and he sometimes fantasised about joining some kind of discussion board just so he had something to fill up the empty hours.
He carefully poured two mugs of hot chocolate and sprinkled the marshmallows on the top. Tooth decay at twenty paces, but it was a bit of a tradition with him to make the drink and sit watching the sun go down and the stars come out. Lisa hadn't had a sweet tooth and had never done it with him. With a mixture of happiness and fright, Ianto suddenly realised that he was going to share something with Jack that he never had with anyone else. With a blinding smile that obviously took Jack by surprise judging from the wide-eyed look he got in return, Ianto offered him one mug and settled back to enjoy the deep orange and red spectacle of the sun setting.
"Red sky at night..." Jack said softly, settling down beside him.
"We can hope," Ianto said in amusement.
Later on that night, he awoke to find that Jack was sitting outside the tent, staring up at the stars. It was a warm night, unseasonably so, and after a few sleepy moments, Ianto went back into the tent and dragged the sleeping bags outside. While a bemused Jack watched, Ianto opened the two of them out and lay one on the ground before grabbing Jack and making him lie down. Ianto settled down beside him and pulled the other sleeping bag on top of them both.
"Go to sleep," he told Jack with a poke to his chest.
Jack was looking down at him with an odd expression on his face. "I thought you hated me?" he asked softly.
"Not tonight," Ianto said with a yawn. "Tonight I like you a lot. Besides, hating takes a lot of energy and I'm too knackered to do that now. Ask me again in the morning."
"Only if I think the answer will be the same as this one," was the last thing he heard Jack say.
OOOO
They got back to the Hub to find that Gwen had managed to accidentally crash one of the databases and Owen had downloaded some porn that had come free with some pretty interesting viruses which had Tosh swearing his untimely demise if he ever went near that particular site again. Tosh had managed to single-handedly avert a major alien invasion and was pissed off at the other two for not noticing, so she was more than pleased to see Jack and Ianto come back. Ianto had looked around at the rubbish cluttering the Hub and sighed faintly before going to find a black bag. Jack caught up with what Tosh had done and left her pink with pleasure over the well-deserved praise he tossed her way.
"Did you and Ianto find what you went looking for?" she asked.
Jack looked across to where Ianto had opened one of the pizza boxes next to Owen's desk and had raised his eyebrows as he extracted a woman's bra, to Owen's obvious horror. Gwen was looking daggers at Owen and Ianto was trying not to smirk.
"No, but I have an idea that I might find it before too long if I keep trying," Jack said absently before switching his attention back to the reports on Weevil sightings she had ready. "And it'll be worth the wait."
OOOO
Next story in chronological order is If You Had a TARDIS at http://community.livejournal.com/jantolution/36655.html