Fic: Comfort - Ianto/Jack - NC17 - Torchwood - Part: 5/?
Title: Comfort
Part: 5/?
Author: Celebrian.
Web page: @ LJ http://www.livejournal.com/users/celebrian_lotr/
&
@ IJ http://users.insanejournal.com/_bad_wolf/
Pairing: Ianto/ Jack
Rating: R (in general, this chapter probably PG15?)
Summary: What happens after sleeping with the boss.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Warnings: Angst - Spoilers for Small Worlds, Countrycide if you didn´t see it and eventually probably S1 in general-
Author’s notes: WIP. And for the record, I suck at summaries, sorry about that.
Feedback: Is addictive and encouraging ;-)
Thanks to Beta xibalba who is a saint and reads stories about a fandom she’s only heard me rambling about and ru_salki99 and plotbunniesinc Any remaining mistakes, all my fault.
After the previous day’s events Jack had managed for Ianto to take one day off. Ianto wasn´t looking forward to spending more time at his apartment, though he had called a company that packed things for moving and he was going to take care of the place on Sunday.
Some things were still in boxes, he had not had the time to unpack them when having to keep an eye on Lisa. Others were decorating the apartment the way she would have liked. That had always given him the impression it would make her happy when she came back.
Coming back to a new home, a new place, yes. But still her home, with her things, small things she loved… as always, Ianto´s only concern was that she was going to be alright after the conversion was over- he had considered the possibility of things going the way they had gone but he had always refused to face them.
Now, it was time to face it all together. He needed to move on. That is what he was going to do.
His free day was the day he used for resting, mostly in bed and after some calls he got to find a company that packed things for people that moved. He was going to start from scratch. Everything in the apartment was going to go.
He was keeping his own things, basic things. The rest would go to charity. That was the best he could think of.
“I thought I said two days,” the familiar voice said a couple minutes after he had made it to the hub and looking towards the place the voice had spoken from he smiled. “Do I need to drug you and take you back?”
Ianto chuckled and watched Jack making his way down from one of the catwalks. “Let me stay,” he pleaded looking at Jack for the other man was giving him worried if not caring eyes, “I’ll take it easy,” he promised, “plus it is only bruises, nothing serious.”
“Hmm,” Jack hummed to himself whilst considering. “Alright, there are some files that need sorting out, but no more than that!”
“Keeping me on a short leash?” Ianto asked with a little bit of amusement to the Captain´s recently discovered over-protective side.
“Now there's an idea for when you´re feeling better.”
Ianto snorted when Jack grinned at his own comment as his eyes twinkled and Ianto shook his head, “Let me prepare the coffee first,” he said and made towards the coffee machine, “Want some? I got your favorite blend the other day.”
“I know, I found it yesterday…”
There was something in Jack´s voice and Ianto turned to look at him after realizing the bag was practically empty.
“Coffee technical difficulties,” Jack explained briefly.
Ianto laughed at Jack and shook his head, “I don’t understand how you can manage to deal with those gadgets that fall through the rift yet you can’t figure out an espresso machine.”
“At least I didn´t break it, I just wasted the coffee, unlike Owen who was determined in kicking it until it worked. Which it didn´t and caused Tosh to give up and offer to go to Starbucks,” He said with a nod of his head and leant against the side of the coffee station.
“I think I can manage a mug or two with what´s left,” Ianto said looking at the Captain who was giving him a look, it was a good look even though Ianto wasn´t sure as to what was it for, “what?” He asked whilst returning Jack´s look with a puzzled one of his own.
“Nothing.”
Noticing Jack smile and look from him to the machine as if trying to figure it out Ianto pointed at it, “Want to give it a try?” He offered. Usually he wouldn’t offer anyone lessons in how to use it, he didn´t want everyone deciding to make their own coffee, causing a mess, leaving dirty mugs around along with random cloths. This way he could keep everything organized instead of having to worry with what he would find when he made it there.
He liked going back to a place he worked in to find everything in its rightful place.
“Must have done something right if you´re offering to teach me, I didn’t think you let anyone near it,” Jack said with a dashing grin and a chuckle before moving closer to him.
“Well, the way I see it is either you or Owen, and since you previously stated Owen couldn´t do much more than kick it - that leaves me with only you. Tosh didn´t even come near and went to Starbucks…”
“What about Gwen?”
Ianto frowned a little and his head cocked slightly to the side whilst he tried to come up with a plausible excuse, “Alright, I´m anal with the order in my work space. There. I said it. Happy?” He asked, and smiled when Jack laughed out loud.
“Alright, alright. I promise, whenever I make some coffee, and you´re not around I will leave everything in order.”
“Good, wouldn´t want to have to scold you,” Ianto grinned and started showing Jack how to prepare a decent cup of coffee, “Voila. Elixir of the Gods,” He smiled after sniffing the coffee whilst smiling pleasantly with the result before handing it over to Jack.
“That didn´t look difficult,” Jack said and held the mug before sniffing it too and smiled when realizing it was that special blend they prepared for him whenever Ianto ordered it, “I should have kept on trying with regular coffee instead of using this one.”
“There is more than one packet of the blend you prefer, I always order at least four. Cheaper that way, considering the amount of coffee drank in this place.”
“Makes you wonder how no one’s got an ulcer yet,” Jack frowned thoughtfully and shrugged before having another sip, “Let me give it a try,” he said, and handing the mug back to Ianto he moved to try the machine.
Ianto watched Jack going step by step, “Yeah, that one,” he pointed out to the button Jack needed to press and nodded because Jack´s got it. Soon the aroma of recently prepared coffee seemed to surround them and Ianto smiled. “Not that difficult, is it?”
“Not really…”
“What?” Ianto asked as Jack wrinkled his nose when tasting the coffee.
“Doesn´t taste like yours.”
Reaching out Ianto got the mug Jack ended up holding up for him before they exchanged them and took a sip, “Too strong,” he said easily getting what Jack hadn´t liked. “You could use a spoonful less next time.”
“Finally; we’re getting some decent coffee again. Not that Starbucks crap.”
“Good morning Owen.” Ianto said noticing Owen making his way to his work station.
“Yeah, yeah.”
Ianto simply smiled at Owen´s particular way of wishing someone a good morning and looked at Jack who shook his head once but Ianto was rather sure he was preventing himself from snorting.
“The usual for me,” The voice from the work stations called and Ianto rolled his eyes.
“I´ll see to this, and I'll check on those files you want me to go through.” He assured Jack, “I have some things to order upstairs too,” He added, while starting on Owen´s coffee.
“You don’t take it easy, I drive you home,” Jack threatened quietly.
Looking to the side Ianto locked eyes with Jack who was dead serious about that so he just nodded and smiled. He wasn´t sure what was going on, but he was sure he wasn’t going to complain about that little scold. It felt… right.
Even though at the moment it was confusing, it felt nice to have someone caring about his health, about him.
“Ianto, you´re back,” Tosh´s voice caused Ianto to look over his shoulder before nodding once, “morning Tosh.”
“Morning,” she said sheepishly because she had skipped the salutation, “I thought you had another day off. I got everyone coffee already,” She said holding the paper cups up, “we had a little bit of trouble with the machine,” She explained.
“That thing is evil,” Owen called out from where he was working before getting up to steal one of the paper mugs Tosh was carrying.
“You only need a little patience to learn,” Ianto looked at Owen who got the mug of crappy coffee despite his previous complaints.
“Yeah, that is why you make the coffee and not me, tea boy,” Owen called back whilst getting the programs he wanted running, “probably same reason as to why I do field work whilst you stay back cleaning the ´house´ too.”
“Maybe,” Ianto said because he had no arguments with that, especially after their previous encounter with cannibals in which he almost turned into someone’s dinner.
“I didn’t know you were going to be here, I got three.”
“Is alright Tosh, I got some here,” Ianto assured thankfully, and looked at Jack before holding the mug with coffee he´d prepared up for him to take while he kept the one Jack hadn´t liked for himself, “I can use with a little bit extra caffeine today,” he said quietly and looked into Jack´s bright blue eyes for a couple seconds before he started moving the things he´d used around.
“Why does he get the good coffee instead of us?”
“Because I´m the boss?” Jack asked with a grin while walking past Owen. “Because I´m dashing? Charming. Handsome, irresistible-”
“Right,” Owen snorted in interruption and looked up at the boss, “we're going to sit down while you list your ´attributes´. We might as well sit comfortably because we all know you don´t think the list is a ten points list.”
Tosh smiled to herself and had a sip of her coffee whilst starting to run her programs, and checking the readings from the previous night.
“It is not easy to try defining perfection,” Jack protested smugly and looked at Ianto who was standing by his office door, “files right?”
Ianto smiled and nodded his head once when Jack snapped back to reality from his little interlude with Owen and walked inside the office with him to get said files. While getting them his fingers brushed against Jack´s and he was all of a sudden aware as to how much he´d been craving the contact, even if it was as little as this.
Their eyes met and Ianto looked into Jack´s a little more than intended before holding the folders with files in his arms, “I’ll see to these right away, Sir,” He assured and getting his mug of coffee which was resting on the edge of Jack´s desk, he headed to the door, “anything else you need I’ll be in the office,” he said and headed towards the lift that´d take him to the tourist office.
“Ianto,” Owen called out making him turn to look at him.
“Lunch and dinner, don´t forget those. We need to eat, something more than crackers or snacks.”
Ianto nodded catching the first, but the rest of what he said was said so quietly he didn´t get it. “The usual?”
“Yeah.”
Nodding, Ianto finally made it to the lift and eventually to his office. He headed to the employees only section where, after making a couple of phone calls to make sure lunch and dinner arrived on time, he started working on going through the files Jack had just handed over for him to classify.
* * * * *
After a really quiet day in the Tourist Office, Ianto headed back to the hub. Owen and Tosh had gone home already, Jack had dismissed them early because the day was slow and things seemed to be under control, for a change.
He looked around and noticed the mess piling up everywhere from where they had had dinner and he decided to leave that for later.
Heading to the vaults he found Jack feeding Janet and Ianto felt puzzled, no one had helped him out with any of his chores before.
“I sent Tosh and Owen home,” Jack stood up from where he was crouching next to the wall checking on Janet as she stared at her food, and wondered how long she was going to sit there without touching the tray, she didn´t even move close to it.
“She doesn´t like to be watched when she eats,” Ianto explained, guessing Jack was there waiting for Janet to finish her food, “I saw her through the CCTV cameras, she waits to be alone then she gets closer and eats,” He explained moving to check on Janet who was in her usual spot for whenever dinner was served.
“Really?”
“Yep,” Ianto nodded absently whilst stuck his hands in the pockets of his trousers, “no idea why, she stays in that corner until you leave, then she checks the food and eventually eats it.”
“That is quite opposite to what they do when they attack. They don’t think, they do it out of instinct. They’re not all that good at measuring danger.”
“I know, I guess either she's getting ´domesticated´ or it is part of her instinct to inspect what she eats before eating it. What beats me is why she waits to be alone,” Ianto said leaning against the wall and noticed Jack standing from where he was crouching to lean against the wall by him.
“If I had their eating manners. I´d wait to be alone to start with dinner,” Jack joked.
Ianto raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly, “I don't think you’re one to speak of table manners when I caught you and Owen having a burping contest the other night,” He pointed out.
“I won!”
“I don’t care who won,” Ianto said, amused, and looked from Janet to Jack, “Why are you feeding her? This is part of my job,” Ianto had to ask; he had to get it out of his system.
“I thought I´d give you a hand,” Jack shrugged, and led the way outside.
Locking the vault, Ianto pursed his lips with a little bit of surprise and headed upstairs along with Jack.
“I told you to take it easy, no one else was going to do it, so I did it.”
Getting a black bag from where he kept them ready to clean up the place Ianto looked around to try figure out where he´d start when feeling Jack´s hand on his arm.
“That is part of the taking it easy concept,” he said and lead Ianto to his office. “I thought we could have dinner together,” he said pointing to the food resting on his desk. “You’re still needing to eat more vegetables so you can have this, I have this, and we relax,” Jack said sitting on his chair whilst Ianto sat opposite him.
“We relax,” Ianto repeated before frowning a little to himself, “I'm not good at relaxing,” he admitted whilst starting on his food.
“What did you do for relaxation before joining Torchwood?”
Hearing the curiosity in Jack´s voice Ianto shrugged and tried thinking. “I’ve worked for Torchwood since I was twenty one. But, I guess during that time, less hectic times where I didn´t get to see the aliens up close, I used to go out at the weekends, to the pub, cinema,” He recalled, “long walks on Sunday afternoons by the Thames, I would just walk until I got tired. Which was a bit silly, because when I did manage my way back, I was drained. I kept on thinking, walk until you reach certain point then walk back, but I always felt like I had to keep going. I wanted to see more and more… one time I made it back home around eleven PM having left around nine AM,” He chuckled to himself.
“Boring I know, but it was relaxing.” He explained.
“That sounds like exploring to me,” Jack smiled, “exploring´s never been boring. You never see the same thing twice, because things happen here and now. Then they’re gone- little choices we make on the way, the different things in our days that make us see things in different perspective… that´s what doesn´t let us see the same thing twice even if it is just a thing, like a mug of coffee,” He pointed out.
“I’m not sure if my addiction is passing onto you, and everyone else or if it’s the job that drives you to need so much caffeine in your system,” Ianto smiled up at Jack before having a sip of his water because with the painkillers he couldn´t have alcohol and it hit him suddenly that Jack had remembered that little fact too.
“Might be a little bit of both, who knows?”
“What did you do to relax before Torchwood? Or well- whenever you had time to relax because I believe you´ve seen and fought in many wars, so you might not have had the time,” Ianto pointed out whilst eating another forkful of his salad.
“I went out for walks, I went to the movies when they were out in the theatre, I went to see plays too- when it was war time they’d have these balls- whenever the soldiers were about to take off. They had one of those and everyone would be there- the wives, the soldiers the sweethearts. The feeling you get from those is a bittersweet one, in the back of your mind you know not everyone in there is going to make it at the end, many will die. Whether it’s in the field, or the bombs falling from the sky hit an area of the city that was inhabitated…” He paused.
“When you were in that ballroom, with so many people enjoying that moment to the best they could you realized that in life, all moments are to be cherished, the good we cherish the most because of the obvious, they’re nice,” He smiled, “but the bad ones help us be who we are today so in my opinion those should be treasured too.”
“Life is to be treasured,” Ianto concluded regarding what Jack said.
“In every way,” Jack agreed with a nod whilst glancing up at Ianto once again, “not taking things for granted, not thinking what you are currently doing with your life could be the best thing you can do- even if you’re damn good at it because- it might not last. The moment you start thinking that, is the moment, you close yourself to any other possible opportunities.”
“Maybe you're fine where you are, maybe you want to stay there and listen to the other opportunities but you reject them.”
“That's different; you're receptive but choose not to follow those chances or paths that life puts before you.”
“What was the most important path you took this far?” Ianto asked with endless curiosity and unlike the rest he wasn’t trying to snoop or gather information about Jack, he genuinely wanted to know who he was. Before, he hadn't cared but now, now he wanted to get to know the man sitting before him, across the desk as much as he could manage, or at least, as much as Jack would allow him to.
“There were several important ones,” Jack said whilst thinking back, going through the events of his long life, those events that had made him the person he was today. “But- I think the most important one is the one that lead me to be the way I am today.”
Ianto noticed Jack looking at him and he figured he was trying to find the words as to how to explain his story, unless he decided to come out with some sort of last minute joke not to have to talk about him.
“Long ago, I made a huge mistake. At the moment it's unimportant as to what it was,” Jack said waving his hand in the air dismissively whilst thinking the event with the Chula spaceship, “that lead me to meet The Doctor and Rose. I was a different man before meeting them, they showed me a path I hadn’t really considered before. I decided to take it.”
Ianto kept on looking at Jack with endless attention as he retold bits of the story, leaving probably more than half of it in the air but still, he was talking to him. Something he hadn’t done with anyone, well perhaps possibly Gwen.
“I was rather self centered before meeting them and well- the most important thing that happened during those days were the fact that I died for the first time. Extermination by a Dalek- then I was brought back to life. And, I´m freaking you out aren´t I?”
“No,” Ianto said honestly. “I was only listening. I didn’t want to interrupt,” He admitted, “I was also thinking about the Daleks, I saw them, well- most saw them flying in the sky whilst the Cybermen tried to take over.”
“If you think Cybermen are number one in the list of ten worst possible villains for a horror story, then think again,” Jack cringed a little in his place. “A Dalek is undefeatable, unstoppable, the concepts might be the same but want it or not, even though small -Cybermen have weaknesses, a Dalek on the other hand,” He shook his head and sighed heavily, “I think we should probably change topics now, we don’t want to have nightmares do we?” He asked with a chuckle and poured himself a glass of scotch.
“I don’t think I remember what it is like, sleeping with out having nightmares,” Ianto smiled sadly, and finished his dinner willing to let go of the topic they were discussing because it was obvious that it still upset Jack a great deal. Considering, it affected Ianto himself too.
If it hadn't been for those creatures, things wouldn’t have gone wrong for him in the first place.
“Stay the night, let me guard your dreams.” Jack´s velvety voice said, and Ianto smiled to himself whilst glancing up at Jack.
“I keep on staying the night. It might become a habit,” he pointed out, having a sip of his water.
“And that would be a bad thing why?” Jack retorted whilst leaning back on his chair.
“Nothing bad about it, I was just thinking out loud.”
“Nothing wrong with living in the here and now Ianto, after all - at the end, that´s all that matters. Didn’t we just conclude that?”
“Here and now,” Ianto repeated whilst looking at their finished meals before stretching his legs under the desk. “Sounds good to me.” He smiled and got up. “That made me think we need dessert,” he said and disappeared to the fridge before getting a pot of ice cream whilst getting a couple of spoons and headed back to the office, putting things from dinner away and into the bin bag, he left it aside whilst Jack busied himself getting the cover of the ice cream pot.
Much to Ianto´s surprise though, Jack moved to the adjacent room and sat in a small couch for two people (maybe three if they squeezed in) that was by the wall next to the old video machine that was there and pat the empty side for Ianto to join him, which he did after getting their drinks to put them on the table by the couch.
“Dig in,” Jack grinned whilst holding the spoon out for Ianto to take.
Getting the spoon Ianto got some ice cream from the pot and started eating it, savoring it in his mouth before humming softly to himself, “We’re only needing a film,” Ianto joked and got the ice cream pot when Jack seemed to have an idea and got up from his place to go put on some music.
“No visuals, but- who can resist Glen Miller?” Jack asked as the music started to fill the small room and a dreamy smile lingered on his features whilst he moved close to where Ianto was sitting holding his hand out, “it’s a slow one, it applies to ´taking it easy´ during the day,” He grinned dashingly at Ianto.
“I don’t think-“ Ianto stammered a little bit and looked from the ice cream to Jack, “it´ll melt,” He pointed out clumsily.
“One song, it won´t melt with one song, which will become two if you do not get up from that couch right now!” Jack teased him because he was being slow making up his mind.
Leaving the ice cream pot on the side Ianto took Jack´s hand feeling utterly odd about dancing with another man, but he moved closer nevertheless, “I- how? Who leads?” He asked clumsily.
“Let´s just.”
Ianto felt his arms going around Jack´s waist as Jack guided them there, and as if taking the situation in, Ianto tried relaxing whilst feeling Jack´s body moving closer to his until their chests pressed against each other´s.
“Close your eyes, just let it happen,” Jack said to him and Ianto complied as his hand stroked its way up the Captain’s back whilst his other arm wrapped around Jack’s waist.
Soon their bodies were moving to the music, neither of them leading, their bodies moving slowly, rhythmically as Ianto´s face found its way against Jack´s hair, eyes still closed he could smell that shampoo he so much liked, he could smell that something else that was uniquely Jack.
“I believe this could go into the chilling possibility list,” Jack said ever so softly that Ianto was a little bit surprised to discover even yet, another tone of voice Jack could pull out just for the occasion.
He snuggled up to the strong body, his arms holding Jack close as Jack held him back, caressing Ianto´s back until his hand rested on his shoulder before Jack´s cheek brushed against his own, his lips so close to his skin… Ianto felt himself tremble slightly with anticipation, and his heart seemed to miss a beat as he felt Jack´s lips brushing against his own.
Ianto´s hand stroked Jack´s spine over the fabric of his shirt until it tangled on the hair falling on the nape of Jack´s neck before gently massaging the other´s skull as his head tilted slightly to the side to be able to deepen the kiss.
“I think it is definitely worth adding it to the list,” he whispered against Jack´s lips and their brows pressed against each other´s as they kept on dancing to Moonlight Serenade.
TBC…
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part: 5/?
Author: Celebrian.
Web page: @ LJ http://www.livejournal.com/users/celebrian_lotr/
&
@ IJ http://users.insanejournal.com/_bad_wolf/
Pairing: Ianto/ Jack
Rating: R (in general, this chapter probably PG15?)
Summary: What happens after sleeping with the boss.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Warnings: Angst - Spoilers for Small Worlds, Countrycide if you didn´t see it and eventually probably S1 in general-
Author’s notes: WIP. And for the record, I suck at summaries, sorry about that.
Feedback: Is addictive and encouraging ;-)
Thanks to Beta xibalba who is a saint and reads stories about a fandom she’s only heard me rambling about and ru_salki99 and plotbunniesinc Any remaining mistakes, all my fault.
After the previous day’s events Jack had managed for Ianto to take one day off. Ianto wasn´t looking forward to spending more time at his apartment, though he had called a company that packed things for moving and he was going to take care of the place on Sunday.
Some things were still in boxes, he had not had the time to unpack them when having to keep an eye on Lisa. Others were decorating the apartment the way she would have liked. That had always given him the impression it would make her happy when she came back.
Coming back to a new home, a new place, yes. But still her home, with her things, small things she loved… as always, Ianto´s only concern was that she was going to be alright after the conversion was over- he had considered the possibility of things going the way they had gone but he had always refused to face them.
Now, it was time to face it all together. He needed to move on. That is what he was going to do.
His free day was the day he used for resting, mostly in bed and after some calls he got to find a company that packed things for people that moved. He was going to start from scratch. Everything in the apartment was going to go.
He was keeping his own things, basic things. The rest would go to charity. That was the best he could think of.
“I thought I said two days,” the familiar voice said a couple minutes after he had made it to the hub and looking towards the place the voice had spoken from he smiled. “Do I need to drug you and take you back?”
Ianto chuckled and watched Jack making his way down from one of the catwalks. “Let me stay,” he pleaded looking at Jack for the other man was giving him worried if not caring eyes, “I’ll take it easy,” he promised, “plus it is only bruises, nothing serious.”
“Hmm,” Jack hummed to himself whilst considering. “Alright, there are some files that need sorting out, but no more than that!”
“Keeping me on a short leash?” Ianto asked with a little bit of amusement to the Captain´s recently discovered over-protective side.
“Now there's an idea for when you´re feeling better.”
Ianto snorted when Jack grinned at his own comment as his eyes twinkled and Ianto shook his head, “Let me prepare the coffee first,” he said and made towards the coffee machine, “Want some? I got your favorite blend the other day.”
“I know, I found it yesterday…”
There was something in Jack´s voice and Ianto turned to look at him after realizing the bag was practically empty.
“Coffee technical difficulties,” Jack explained briefly.
Ianto laughed at Jack and shook his head, “I don’t understand how you can manage to deal with those gadgets that fall through the rift yet you can’t figure out an espresso machine.”
“At least I didn´t break it, I just wasted the coffee, unlike Owen who was determined in kicking it until it worked. Which it didn´t and caused Tosh to give up and offer to go to Starbucks,” He said with a nod of his head and leant against the side of the coffee station.
“I think I can manage a mug or two with what´s left,” Ianto said looking at the Captain who was giving him a look, it was a good look even though Ianto wasn´t sure as to what was it for, “what?” He asked whilst returning Jack´s look with a puzzled one of his own.
“Nothing.”
Noticing Jack smile and look from him to the machine as if trying to figure it out Ianto pointed at it, “Want to give it a try?” He offered. Usually he wouldn’t offer anyone lessons in how to use it, he didn´t want everyone deciding to make their own coffee, causing a mess, leaving dirty mugs around along with random cloths. This way he could keep everything organized instead of having to worry with what he would find when he made it there.
He liked going back to a place he worked in to find everything in its rightful place.
“Must have done something right if you´re offering to teach me, I didn’t think you let anyone near it,” Jack said with a dashing grin and a chuckle before moving closer to him.
“Well, the way I see it is either you or Owen, and since you previously stated Owen couldn´t do much more than kick it - that leaves me with only you. Tosh didn´t even come near and went to Starbucks…”
“What about Gwen?”
Ianto frowned a little and his head cocked slightly to the side whilst he tried to come up with a plausible excuse, “Alright, I´m anal with the order in my work space. There. I said it. Happy?” He asked, and smiled when Jack laughed out loud.
“Alright, alright. I promise, whenever I make some coffee, and you´re not around I will leave everything in order.”
“Good, wouldn´t want to have to scold you,” Ianto grinned and started showing Jack how to prepare a decent cup of coffee, “Voila. Elixir of the Gods,” He smiled after sniffing the coffee whilst smiling pleasantly with the result before handing it over to Jack.
“That didn´t look difficult,” Jack said and held the mug before sniffing it too and smiled when realizing it was that special blend they prepared for him whenever Ianto ordered it, “I should have kept on trying with regular coffee instead of using this one.”
“There is more than one packet of the blend you prefer, I always order at least four. Cheaper that way, considering the amount of coffee drank in this place.”
“Makes you wonder how no one’s got an ulcer yet,” Jack frowned thoughtfully and shrugged before having another sip, “Let me give it a try,” he said, and handing the mug back to Ianto he moved to try the machine.
Ianto watched Jack going step by step, “Yeah, that one,” he pointed out to the button Jack needed to press and nodded because Jack´s got it. Soon the aroma of recently prepared coffee seemed to surround them and Ianto smiled. “Not that difficult, is it?”
“Not really…”
“What?” Ianto asked as Jack wrinkled his nose when tasting the coffee.
“Doesn´t taste like yours.”
Reaching out Ianto got the mug Jack ended up holding up for him before they exchanged them and took a sip, “Too strong,” he said easily getting what Jack hadn´t liked. “You could use a spoonful less next time.”
“Finally; we’re getting some decent coffee again. Not that Starbucks crap.”
“Good morning Owen.” Ianto said noticing Owen making his way to his work station.
“Yeah, yeah.”
Ianto simply smiled at Owen´s particular way of wishing someone a good morning and looked at Jack who shook his head once but Ianto was rather sure he was preventing himself from snorting.
“The usual for me,” The voice from the work stations called and Ianto rolled his eyes.
“I´ll see to this, and I'll check on those files you want me to go through.” He assured Jack, “I have some things to order upstairs too,” He added, while starting on Owen´s coffee.
“You don’t take it easy, I drive you home,” Jack threatened quietly.
Looking to the side Ianto locked eyes with Jack who was dead serious about that so he just nodded and smiled. He wasn´t sure what was going on, but he was sure he wasn’t going to complain about that little scold. It felt… right.
Even though at the moment it was confusing, it felt nice to have someone caring about his health, about him.
“Ianto, you´re back,” Tosh´s voice caused Ianto to look over his shoulder before nodding once, “morning Tosh.”
“Morning,” she said sheepishly because she had skipped the salutation, “I thought you had another day off. I got everyone coffee already,” She said holding the paper cups up, “we had a little bit of trouble with the machine,” She explained.
“That thing is evil,” Owen called out from where he was working before getting up to steal one of the paper mugs Tosh was carrying.
“You only need a little patience to learn,” Ianto looked at Owen who got the mug of crappy coffee despite his previous complaints.
“Yeah, that is why you make the coffee and not me, tea boy,” Owen called back whilst getting the programs he wanted running, “probably same reason as to why I do field work whilst you stay back cleaning the ´house´ too.”
“Maybe,” Ianto said because he had no arguments with that, especially after their previous encounter with cannibals in which he almost turned into someone’s dinner.
“I didn’t know you were going to be here, I got three.”
“Is alright Tosh, I got some here,” Ianto assured thankfully, and looked at Jack before holding the mug with coffee he´d prepared up for him to take while he kept the one Jack hadn´t liked for himself, “I can use with a little bit extra caffeine today,” he said quietly and looked into Jack´s bright blue eyes for a couple seconds before he started moving the things he´d used around.
“Why does he get the good coffee instead of us?”
“Because I´m the boss?” Jack asked with a grin while walking past Owen. “Because I´m dashing? Charming. Handsome, irresistible-”
“Right,” Owen snorted in interruption and looked up at the boss, “we're going to sit down while you list your ´attributes´. We might as well sit comfortably because we all know you don´t think the list is a ten points list.”
Tosh smiled to herself and had a sip of her coffee whilst starting to run her programs, and checking the readings from the previous night.
“It is not easy to try defining perfection,” Jack protested smugly and looked at Ianto who was standing by his office door, “files right?”
Ianto smiled and nodded his head once when Jack snapped back to reality from his little interlude with Owen and walked inside the office with him to get said files. While getting them his fingers brushed against Jack´s and he was all of a sudden aware as to how much he´d been craving the contact, even if it was as little as this.
Their eyes met and Ianto looked into Jack´s a little more than intended before holding the folders with files in his arms, “I’ll see to these right away, Sir,” He assured and getting his mug of coffee which was resting on the edge of Jack´s desk, he headed to the door, “anything else you need I’ll be in the office,” he said and headed towards the lift that´d take him to the tourist office.
“Ianto,” Owen called out making him turn to look at him.
“Lunch and dinner, don´t forget those. We need to eat, something more than crackers or snacks.”
Ianto nodded catching the first, but the rest of what he said was said so quietly he didn´t get it. “The usual?”
“Yeah.”
Nodding, Ianto finally made it to the lift and eventually to his office. He headed to the employees only section where, after making a couple of phone calls to make sure lunch and dinner arrived on time, he started working on going through the files Jack had just handed over for him to classify.
* * * * *
After a really quiet day in the Tourist Office, Ianto headed back to the hub. Owen and Tosh had gone home already, Jack had dismissed them early because the day was slow and things seemed to be under control, for a change.
He looked around and noticed the mess piling up everywhere from where they had had dinner and he decided to leave that for later.
Heading to the vaults he found Jack feeding Janet and Ianto felt puzzled, no one had helped him out with any of his chores before.
“I sent Tosh and Owen home,” Jack stood up from where he was crouching next to the wall checking on Janet as she stared at her food, and wondered how long she was going to sit there without touching the tray, she didn´t even move close to it.
“She doesn´t like to be watched when she eats,” Ianto explained, guessing Jack was there waiting for Janet to finish her food, “I saw her through the CCTV cameras, she waits to be alone then she gets closer and eats,” He explained moving to check on Janet who was in her usual spot for whenever dinner was served.
“Really?”
“Yep,” Ianto nodded absently whilst stuck his hands in the pockets of his trousers, “no idea why, she stays in that corner until you leave, then she checks the food and eventually eats it.”
“That is quite opposite to what they do when they attack. They don’t think, they do it out of instinct. They’re not all that good at measuring danger.”
“I know, I guess either she's getting ´domesticated´ or it is part of her instinct to inspect what she eats before eating it. What beats me is why she waits to be alone,” Ianto said leaning against the wall and noticed Jack standing from where he was crouching to lean against the wall by him.
“If I had their eating manners. I´d wait to be alone to start with dinner,” Jack joked.
Ianto raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly, “I don't think you’re one to speak of table manners when I caught you and Owen having a burping contest the other night,” He pointed out.
“I won!”
“I don’t care who won,” Ianto said, amused, and looked from Janet to Jack, “Why are you feeding her? This is part of my job,” Ianto had to ask; he had to get it out of his system.
“I thought I´d give you a hand,” Jack shrugged, and led the way outside.
Locking the vault, Ianto pursed his lips with a little bit of surprise and headed upstairs along with Jack.
“I told you to take it easy, no one else was going to do it, so I did it.”
Getting a black bag from where he kept them ready to clean up the place Ianto looked around to try figure out where he´d start when feeling Jack´s hand on his arm.
“That is part of the taking it easy concept,” he said and lead Ianto to his office. “I thought we could have dinner together,” he said pointing to the food resting on his desk. “You’re still needing to eat more vegetables so you can have this, I have this, and we relax,” Jack said sitting on his chair whilst Ianto sat opposite him.
“We relax,” Ianto repeated before frowning a little to himself, “I'm not good at relaxing,” he admitted whilst starting on his food.
“What did you do for relaxation before joining Torchwood?”
Hearing the curiosity in Jack´s voice Ianto shrugged and tried thinking. “I’ve worked for Torchwood since I was twenty one. But, I guess during that time, less hectic times where I didn´t get to see the aliens up close, I used to go out at the weekends, to the pub, cinema,” He recalled, “long walks on Sunday afternoons by the Thames, I would just walk until I got tired. Which was a bit silly, because when I did manage my way back, I was drained. I kept on thinking, walk until you reach certain point then walk back, but I always felt like I had to keep going. I wanted to see more and more… one time I made it back home around eleven PM having left around nine AM,” He chuckled to himself.
“Boring I know, but it was relaxing.” He explained.
“That sounds like exploring to me,” Jack smiled, “exploring´s never been boring. You never see the same thing twice, because things happen here and now. Then they’re gone- little choices we make on the way, the different things in our days that make us see things in different perspective… that´s what doesn´t let us see the same thing twice even if it is just a thing, like a mug of coffee,” He pointed out.
“I’m not sure if my addiction is passing onto you, and everyone else or if it’s the job that drives you to need so much caffeine in your system,” Ianto smiled up at Jack before having a sip of his water because with the painkillers he couldn´t have alcohol and it hit him suddenly that Jack had remembered that little fact too.
“Might be a little bit of both, who knows?”
“What did you do to relax before Torchwood? Or well- whenever you had time to relax because I believe you´ve seen and fought in many wars, so you might not have had the time,” Ianto pointed out whilst eating another forkful of his salad.
“I went out for walks, I went to the movies when they were out in the theatre, I went to see plays too- when it was war time they’d have these balls- whenever the soldiers were about to take off. They had one of those and everyone would be there- the wives, the soldiers the sweethearts. The feeling you get from those is a bittersweet one, in the back of your mind you know not everyone in there is going to make it at the end, many will die. Whether it’s in the field, or the bombs falling from the sky hit an area of the city that was inhabitated…” He paused.
“When you were in that ballroom, with so many people enjoying that moment to the best they could you realized that in life, all moments are to be cherished, the good we cherish the most because of the obvious, they’re nice,” He smiled, “but the bad ones help us be who we are today so in my opinion those should be treasured too.”
“Life is to be treasured,” Ianto concluded regarding what Jack said.
“In every way,” Jack agreed with a nod whilst glancing up at Ianto once again, “not taking things for granted, not thinking what you are currently doing with your life could be the best thing you can do- even if you’re damn good at it because- it might not last. The moment you start thinking that, is the moment, you close yourself to any other possible opportunities.”
“Maybe you're fine where you are, maybe you want to stay there and listen to the other opportunities but you reject them.”
“That's different; you're receptive but choose not to follow those chances or paths that life puts before you.”
“What was the most important path you took this far?” Ianto asked with endless curiosity and unlike the rest he wasn’t trying to snoop or gather information about Jack, he genuinely wanted to know who he was. Before, he hadn't cared but now, now he wanted to get to know the man sitting before him, across the desk as much as he could manage, or at least, as much as Jack would allow him to.
“There were several important ones,” Jack said whilst thinking back, going through the events of his long life, those events that had made him the person he was today. “But- I think the most important one is the one that lead me to be the way I am today.”
Ianto noticed Jack looking at him and he figured he was trying to find the words as to how to explain his story, unless he decided to come out with some sort of last minute joke not to have to talk about him.
“Long ago, I made a huge mistake. At the moment it's unimportant as to what it was,” Jack said waving his hand in the air dismissively whilst thinking the event with the Chula spaceship, “that lead me to meet The Doctor and Rose. I was a different man before meeting them, they showed me a path I hadn’t really considered before. I decided to take it.”
Ianto kept on looking at Jack with endless attention as he retold bits of the story, leaving probably more than half of it in the air but still, he was talking to him. Something he hadn’t done with anyone, well perhaps possibly Gwen.
“I was rather self centered before meeting them and well- the most important thing that happened during those days were the fact that I died for the first time. Extermination by a Dalek- then I was brought back to life. And, I´m freaking you out aren´t I?”
“No,” Ianto said honestly. “I was only listening. I didn’t want to interrupt,” He admitted, “I was also thinking about the Daleks, I saw them, well- most saw them flying in the sky whilst the Cybermen tried to take over.”
“If you think Cybermen are number one in the list of ten worst possible villains for a horror story, then think again,” Jack cringed a little in his place. “A Dalek is undefeatable, unstoppable, the concepts might be the same but want it or not, even though small -Cybermen have weaknesses, a Dalek on the other hand,” He shook his head and sighed heavily, “I think we should probably change topics now, we don’t want to have nightmares do we?” He asked with a chuckle and poured himself a glass of scotch.
“I don’t think I remember what it is like, sleeping with out having nightmares,” Ianto smiled sadly, and finished his dinner willing to let go of the topic they were discussing because it was obvious that it still upset Jack a great deal. Considering, it affected Ianto himself too.
If it hadn't been for those creatures, things wouldn’t have gone wrong for him in the first place.
“Stay the night, let me guard your dreams.” Jack´s velvety voice said, and Ianto smiled to himself whilst glancing up at Jack.
“I keep on staying the night. It might become a habit,” he pointed out, having a sip of his water.
“And that would be a bad thing why?” Jack retorted whilst leaning back on his chair.
“Nothing bad about it, I was just thinking out loud.”
“Nothing wrong with living in the here and now Ianto, after all - at the end, that´s all that matters. Didn’t we just conclude that?”
“Here and now,” Ianto repeated whilst looking at their finished meals before stretching his legs under the desk. “Sounds good to me.” He smiled and got up. “That made me think we need dessert,” he said and disappeared to the fridge before getting a pot of ice cream whilst getting a couple of spoons and headed back to the office, putting things from dinner away and into the bin bag, he left it aside whilst Jack busied himself getting the cover of the ice cream pot.
Much to Ianto´s surprise though, Jack moved to the adjacent room and sat in a small couch for two people (maybe three if they squeezed in) that was by the wall next to the old video machine that was there and pat the empty side for Ianto to join him, which he did after getting their drinks to put them on the table by the couch.
“Dig in,” Jack grinned whilst holding the spoon out for Ianto to take.
Getting the spoon Ianto got some ice cream from the pot and started eating it, savoring it in his mouth before humming softly to himself, “We’re only needing a film,” Ianto joked and got the ice cream pot when Jack seemed to have an idea and got up from his place to go put on some music.
“No visuals, but- who can resist Glen Miller?” Jack asked as the music started to fill the small room and a dreamy smile lingered on his features whilst he moved close to where Ianto was sitting holding his hand out, “it’s a slow one, it applies to ´taking it easy´ during the day,” He grinned dashingly at Ianto.
“I don’t think-“ Ianto stammered a little bit and looked from the ice cream to Jack, “it´ll melt,” He pointed out clumsily.
“One song, it won´t melt with one song, which will become two if you do not get up from that couch right now!” Jack teased him because he was being slow making up his mind.
Leaving the ice cream pot on the side Ianto took Jack´s hand feeling utterly odd about dancing with another man, but he moved closer nevertheless, “I- how? Who leads?” He asked clumsily.
“Let´s just.”
Ianto felt his arms going around Jack´s waist as Jack guided them there, and as if taking the situation in, Ianto tried relaxing whilst feeling Jack´s body moving closer to his until their chests pressed against each other´s.
“Close your eyes, just let it happen,” Jack said to him and Ianto complied as his hand stroked its way up the Captain’s back whilst his other arm wrapped around Jack’s waist.
Soon their bodies were moving to the music, neither of them leading, their bodies moving slowly, rhythmically as Ianto´s face found its way against Jack´s hair, eyes still closed he could smell that shampoo he so much liked, he could smell that something else that was uniquely Jack.
“I believe this could go into the chilling possibility list,” Jack said ever so softly that Ianto was a little bit surprised to discover even yet, another tone of voice Jack could pull out just for the occasion.
He snuggled up to the strong body, his arms holding Jack close as Jack held him back, caressing Ianto´s back until his hand rested on his shoulder before Jack´s cheek brushed against his own, his lips so close to his skin… Ianto felt himself tremble slightly with anticipation, and his heart seemed to miss a beat as he felt Jack´s lips brushing against his own.
Ianto´s hand stroked Jack´s spine over the fabric of his shirt until it tangled on the hair falling on the nape of Jack´s neck before gently massaging the other´s skull as his head tilted slightly to the side to be able to deepen the kiss.
“I think it is definitely worth adding it to the list,” he whispered against Jack´s lips and their brows pressed against each other´s as they kept on dancing to Moonlight Serenade.
TBC…
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4