Fic: The Soundtrack of a Relationship - part 1
A HUGE thank you to liten_sam for the wonderful banners!!!!
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, they just inhabit my dreams.
A/N - This is part one of a 12-13 chapter story about Jack and Ianto's relationship inspired by several songs I've heard over the past few days. I have a wide taste in music, so please forgive me if there are a couple of cheesy 80's tunes. The songs that inspired the individual chapters will be listed in the "Music" area below the entry. Please, if you spot any mistakes and/or improvements, let me know (happy/"well done" comments appreciated too!). Thanks & I hope you enjoy the story!
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"Doctor? You need to come back right away. Jack needs you." He was out the door before Martha finished speaking, running to the TARDIS and powering it up. The people from the party he'd just left would understand. They were used to him appearing & disappearing like this.
He opened the blue door and stepped out into the main room of the Hub. It was quiet. Too quiet. He looked up and saw Jack sitting at his desk, head bowed, holding an unopened envelope....
"Jack?" the Doctor walked into the small office.
Jack looked up, tears pooling in his eyes. "Thank you for coming, Doctor. I can't do this on my own."
"What's wrong, Jack?"
"Ianto...he..." Jack's voice broke. "He left me this...and I...I just can't read it by myself."
The Doctor nodded in understanding. He watched as Jack steeled himself for the coming task. Jack's shaky hands picked up the letter opener on his desk and slid it under the flap of the envelope, opening it gently. He reached inside and pulled out a thin CD case and a thick sheaf of paper. Setting the CD aside, he smoothed out the papers. His breath caught in his throat as he saw Ianto's impeccable handwritting. He began to read....
My dearest Captain,
I've tried for so long to let you know how I was feeling, but the words just never came out right. I need you to understand why I'm doing what I am. So I decided to use music to show you. I put together all the songs that express how I've felt and made this CD for you. Please, put the CD in and listen to it. Maybe then you'll understand. It's the soundtrack of our relationship, from my point of view.
Jack set the letter down on his desk and picked up the CD case. He opened it, took out the CD inside and turned to put it in the stereo system next to him. He paused and took a deep breath before pressing the Play button. The synthesized opening notes sounded through the quiet room.
"Let's dance in style, let's dance for a while.
Heaven can wait, we're only watching the skies
Hoping for the best but expecting the worst..."
As the song continued to play, he picked up the letter again and continued to read.
Do you remember the first time we met, Jack? I was so young then. Damaged after Canary Wharf, but still so damn full of hope. I'd come to you for a job, because Torchwood was really the only life I'd known. I'd heard about you, of course. Torchwood 1 was full of stories about Captain Jack Harkness and what a determined flirt he was...male, female...it didn't seem to matter. I must admit, I used that information to my advantage. I'm not a vain man, but I know I look good in a suit. Especially that black one I wore for my interview....
Jack smiled slightly at that, leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes and let the music wash over him as he remembered that first day...
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"Ianto Jones? Hi, I'm Captain Jack Harkness!" He flashed his trademark grin and gave the younger man a faint once-over with his eyes. Ianto shifted a bit, not uncomfortable, just aware. He smiled back and held out his hand.
"Yes, Sir. Ianto Jones, at your service." He let a slight twinkle shine in his eyes for just a moment, smiling to himself when he felt the older man's interest sharpen.
"So, tell me why you want to work for Torchwood-Cardiff, Ianto." Jack invited.
"Well, Sir. I've worked for Torchwood since I left uni, it's all I've ever done and I love it. I can't imagine going to a regular job, Sir. No interesting artifacts or alien sightings. It would just be a backwards step."
"With your qualifications, you could go to work for UNIT you know."
"Yes, Sir. But Wales is home. And after Canary Wharf, I just want to be closer to home."
Jack saw the hint of despair in the other man's eyes. "We all lost friends that day, Ianto. It must have been hell."
"Yes, Sir, it was." But he refused to comment further. Jack left it at that.
"What did you do for Torchwood-London?" Jack asked. He'd found some personnel files in the wreckage, but most of them had been destroyed, Ianto's amoung them.
"I worked in Archives, Sir. Cataloging artifacts and compiling files on them."
"Ah, we need someone like that around here." Jack smiled. "My organizational skills run more along the lines of getting men ready to go into battle, not deal with paperwork. We have a computer/tech expert on staff. She's good at whipping computer files into shape, but doesn't have a lot of use for hard copy. How do you feel about coffee?"
"Coffee, Sir?" Ianto asked.
"Yes, as in making it. Are you any good? Do you mind making coffee and tea? Cardiff isn't like London, Ianto. We only have four people on staff and we all have to pitch in and help with general office duties. But I've been told that my coffee tastes like mud, Owen's tastes like paint thinner, Suzie's is too weak and Tosh, well, she's good with computers but the coffee maker mystifies her...she's a tea drinker." Jack chuckled. "So, you worked in Archives for Torchwood-London, I know you can handle that part of the job. But the big question is, can you make coffee?"
Ianto looked into Jack's clear blue eyes, arched an eyebrow and said, "Try me, Sir."
Laughing, Jack winked and said, "You're on! Let me show you the kitchen."
Fifteen minutes later the heavenly aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafting through the Hub had brought the other three members of the team to the kitchen. Ianto poured the coffee into cups and passed it around. There was a moment of silence as they all took their first sips. He watched their reactions. He knew he made damn fine coffee and if this was all it took to get the job, well, he was a shoo-in. Jack leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, ejoying the rich taste. Ianto rolled his eyes slightly at the sensual look on the Captain's face. Apparently the stories he'd heard about the man were all true, Jack Harkness turned everything into a sexual experience.
"Hire him, Harkness." The second man on the team said. "I don't care if he doesn't know the alphabet as long as he makes coffee this good."
The two women just smiled at him and continued drinking their coffee, making small sounds of appreciation.
"Ianto Jones," said Captain Jack. "Welcome to Torchwood-Cardiff. This is the rest of our little team. Suzie Costello, my right-hand lady. She experiments on the stuff we find to see how it works and what it's used for. Toshiko Sato, our resident computer genius. And Dr. Owen Harper, our medical expert. Everyone, this is Ianto Jones, our newest team member."
Over the next few months, Ianto settled into his new job. Jack knew that the archives were a mess, so he wasn't surprised that the young man spent a lot of time down in the basements. He was quiet, efficient and kept them well supplied with his excellant coffee. Jack flirted with him outrageously and there was no doubt that the younger man could hold his own when it came to flirting back. But there was a reserve there that Ianto had yet to let go of.
Then came the debacle with Suzie and the glove. Gwen had joined the team, bringing a new dynamic into the Hub. Ianto faded more into the background, becoming like a shadow. Supplying them with coffee, cleaning up after them, but never becoming part of the team. He was still ready with the quips though. Gwen's first day on the job, Jack had introduced her to Ianto and commented that it was Ianto's job to look after them and get them places on time. Then he'd added, "And he looks good in a suit, too!"
Ianto had just said, "Careful, Sir, that's harrassment." The way he'd said that "Sir" had sent a shiver down Jack's spine.
A few weeks after Gwen had joined the team however, Jack found out what Ianto had really been up to the whole time.
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Back in the present, Jack jerked himself back to his current surroundings. This was hard enough as it was, without dwelling on Ianto's betrayal of them.
The song was almost over.
"Forever young, I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever, forever and ever
Forever young, I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever, forever and ever
Forever young, I want to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever?"
As the music faded away, Jack reached over and paused the CD. This was going to be a long night and he needed a break to get his emotions back under control.
The Doctor sat quietly on the couch in Jack's office. He knew there was nothing he could do to help his old friend yet, other than just being there so Jack wasn't all alone.
tbc
Continue to Part 2...