Fic: "So Throw Those Curtains Wide, One Day Like This a Year...."(Jack/Ianto, PG)
A shiver ran down my spine. It was cold but not enough to grab for the trench coat hanging on the coat rack. Stupid how you forget things when you’re angry, sarcasm becomes your only friend. Of course it was too cold! Stupid brain! I wrapped my arms tightly around myself as the evening rain began to fall. Oh I really needed to go back inside to get my coat. Tears welled in my eyes. What the fuck?
Gwen was halfway out the secret passageway when I re-entered the tourist centre. She certainly looked warm dressed in her green coat with her hands deep in the pockets. I gave her a smile while I reached for the trench coat.
“Are you ok, Ianto?”
I wasn’t sure, since the tears came from nowhere. They were silent tears, ones that felt more deadly and confusing. My stomach started to squirm, triggering more tears to fall. I wanted to scream, vomit and was very close to punching someone. He wasn’t there but I could imagine. The wall seemed like a good substitute; if only Gwen wasn’t still there. Shrugging my shoulders I slipped on my coat and left without another word.
By now it had begun to pour heavily giving my clothes a damn good soaking. There was a metallic taste in the air, followed by the smell of lemons, odd but strangely relevant. Sarcasm, learn to embrace it when you can.
I hated the long distance it took to get to the underground car park. Stupid Jack had to break the lock of the door leading to the boardroom. Stupid me for letting him use a crowbar without asking why, now I was doomed to soak in the rain. A tear fell down my cheek. I kept walking wondering what the hell was wrong with me.
“You’re not upset over the lock, are you?”
I looked up to see Jack leaning against the Audi. Rain was slowly dripping from the ceiling like drops from a stalactite, right now I wanted to wrap myself in his arms to stop myself from shivering. A smile spread across my face but another tear fell down my cheek. I opened my mouth but no words came out, sadly I didn’t know the answer. Today I was upset but I don’t think it was over a stupid lock, ok so I was now drenched from the rain and fucking freezing but...but....
“It’s alright Ianto,” Jack said and I felt his arms wrap around my shoulders, “Come on, I’ll take you home.”
The wipers were on hyperdrive as we sat quietly in the car. I leant against the window and closed my eyes. Thinking back to an earlier conversation with Gwen made me realise tears had prickled even then, even before the stupid lock broke. I tried to open my eyes but I had slipped too far into the dream to see Jack’s face again.
“So throw those curtains wide, one day like this a year.....”
I groggily opened my eyes and smiled as Jack sang along to a song by a band he probably didn’t know. I felt slightly hot and cold. The smell of wet hair hit my nostrils mixed with lemons, very odd and not sarcastic; I really could smell lemons. Strangely orange light streamed in through the window, a sign that it was early morning. I looked down and saw that I was still dressed in a drenched trench coat and trousers. Oh shit; Jack had driven my car around all night. I remained calm as the smile began to grow.
“Do you even know this song?” I asked with a yawn.
“Yes, actually!”
“Liar,” I replied stifling another yawn.
Jack gave a sigh, “One Day Like This by Elbow,” I sat up straight, “See I’m not as ignorant as you think,” He went on, “I went on Wikipedia after hearing it on the radio once, did you know they are named after a line from The Singing Detective....?”
“Are you going to take me home?”
“We already are,” Jack replied with a smile, “I didn’t want to wake you,” he added as he opened the door, “You’re cute when you sleep.”
I looked over and saw that indeed we were parked outside my flat. It was a relief to know that we had been here the whole night but a surprise that Jack had stayed with me. I shook my head and turned off the radio. I didn’t think things were going to turn out like the last two lines since domesticity and Torchwood didn’t mix. Jack was never in bed lying next to me when I woke up in the mornings.
“Ianto, are you coming?” Jack asked appearing into the driver’s side window.
I shook my head and turned the radio back on. This time I realised it was actually a CD that was playing. I remembered listening to it on the way to work yesterday, singing along to One Day Like This. It made me smile because thoughts of Jack had slipped into my mind. Kissing under the mistletoe, feeling his hand slipping into my pants...What came with it was the fear that I would end up like the others, dead while Jack lived on. No wonder I was upset yesterday. The passenger door opened.
“Holy cow I love your eyes,”
“Don’t Jack!” I warned rolling my eyes.
Jack smiled, “We should do this everyday,” he confessed taking my hand, “Cause one day like this a year....”
“....will see me right,” I finished.
It was going to be a beautiful day.