Different Sort of Science -- In A Consumption
Title: Different Sort of Science
Chapter Seven: In A Consumption
Date Written: 8/24/08
Rating: PG/K+
Word Count: 1,039
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Characters/Pairings: Ianto/Lisa, Jack, Doctor (mentioned)
Spoilers: Doctor Who up through Season 04, Torchwood up through 02
Warnings: AU like whoa, het (YES THAT'S RIGHT!)
Author's Notes: You were waiting on her, weren't you? That's right kids, Lisa's here! Thanks so much to my gorgeous betas totally4ryo and katestamps.
Previous chapters found here.
Book cover by et_muse
"Meeting Lisa. Falling in love. Never felt so alive."
-- Ianto Jones, Adam
It was her smile. That's what he wanted to say, at least, that it was her smile, but he'd be lying to himself if he did. It was just... everything.
Tad had taught him that personality was reflected in clothing, and the dress she was wearing proved him to be right yet again -- functional but stylish and flattering to her body, so she was no-nonsense but could have fun, no jewelry to slow her down. Her entire person radiated confidence and competence, from the clothes down to the way she was looking at him -- curiously, studying him and slightly amused at what she found.
"Are you - " he cleared his throat nervously and tried again. "Are you Miss Hallet?"
Then she smiled at him, white teeth almost blinding against her dark complexion and he knew he was smitten. "And you must be Mr. Jones."
"Ianto, ma'am, please."
Another smile, amused and sweet and friendly and reassuring and gorgeous. He forgot how to breathe for a moment.
"Then call me Lisa."
Lisa.
"I couldn't," Ianto protested. "You're -- you're upper class."
"Yes. Royalty, actually," she said in disinterest, waving a hand. "Cousin of a cousin, that sort of thing." She moved towards him, her skirts swishing as she slowly approached him. "But here in Torchwood House, we're all equals." She stopped when she was close enough to touch, close enough that he could smell her perfume. "So. Ianto or Mr. Jones?"
He swallowed hard. "I-Ianto." Oh, this was humiliating. He hadn't been like this since he was five and working his first day in the shop and stammering at the first beautiful woman who walked in.
"Ianto, what?" she prompted.
"Ianto, Miss Lisa."
She laughed at that and patted his cheek. "You are precious." She stepped back, motioning to a chair. "Sit, please."
He did as instructed, almost afraid his knees were going to give out before he did so, and she sat in the chair across from him. "Are you..." he began, unsure of what to say next. He wasn't quite sure how things were done in Torchwood House yet -- most of the younger students in the Academy weren't Mages, so Ianto wasn't sure how much he should or shouldn't say yet.
"Am I like you?" she guessed. Ianto nodded, and she shook her head. "No, but my brother is one, so I am aware of Torchwood House's other... academic discipline. And don't worry, I'm not a one of your teachers." Here she paused to laugh. "Speaking of ranks, here at Torchwood House you're over me. I'm just here today to see how far along your -- normal -- education is, and answer any questions you have may have."
Ianto thought about one he'd had in his head since he'd waved at his family from Myfanwy that morning. "I don't know if you'd know the answer, but do you know if magic power is hereditary? The Doctor mentioned Mage families and I have two siblings and a nephew."
"It can be," Lisa said, giving him a smile. "From what I understand, it's like a child showing a trait his grandfather or great-grandfather possessed -- a fair-haired child from dark-haired parents. Some get it, others don't." She gave a little shrug. "I guess I'm a dark-haired child."
Ianto smiled shyly at her joke.
"You're nervous, aren't you?" She tucked an errant strand of black hair behind her ear. "Haven't you ever seen anyone like me?"
He gave her an odd look. Wales was a haven for all types considered 'undesirable' by other kingdoms nearby, and as thus it was incredibly tolerant. As long as a person was hardworking and honest, most people left the others to themselves. He'd seen all types come through the doors of his father's shop.
Then he realized what the Doctor's game had been. Torchwood Academy was known for drawing in people around the world, so he threw Ianto into a position where he thought the newest member of the House would feel completely off-point.
Well. This was certainly not what he'd expected.
After a long moment, he shook his head. "Never like you, Miss Lisa," he said, the awe evident in his voice.
A blush graced her cheeks, making her beautiful color turn a few shades darker. Emboldened, he reached out and put a hand on her cheek, comparing the white of his own hand against the dark of her skin. "I've never seen anyone as beautiful as you."
Her blush deepened and Ianto smiled at her. "Have you ever seen anyone like me?" he teased her.
She brought a hand up to cover his, leaning into his touch. Her skin was soft but there were callouses where she'd held a pen. "Yes," she replied, giving him a teasing smile. "Men like you are all over." Ianto gave her a scowl, and Lisa laughed, musical and perfect. "But you, Mr. Jones, I like."
He smiled, leaning in to her. "Miss Lisa, I'm afraid I have to kiss you."
"You have to?" she echoed, but didn't pull away. If anything, she leaned in.
"I'll die if I don't."
"We can't have that," she said, her words lowering to a whisper.
"No, it would be very irresponsible of you," he replied, his own voice dropping. Their faces moved a little closer, lips so close he could feel the heat coming off of her skin.
The sound of someone clearing their throat came from behind them and the two jumped guiltily. Ianto looked over the back of his chair and saw Jack standing in the doorway, arms crossed across his chest. Not happy.
"Miss Hallet, I believe Ianto and I will be taking our leave," he said and they could hear the ice in his voice.
"Of course, Jack," she replied, standing and giving him a placating smile. When the other man turned and left the room, she leaned down over him and pressed a quick, chaste kiss against Ianto's mouth. Ianto didn't even have time to react before she was pulling away. "I'll be seeing you around, Mr. Jones," she said softly before sweeping out of the door.
Ianto almost skipped down the hall after Jack once he remembered how his legs worked.
Chapter Seven: In A Consumption
Date Written: 8/24/08
Rating: PG/K+
Word Count: 1,039
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Characters/Pairings: Ianto/Lisa, Jack, Doctor (mentioned)
Spoilers: Doctor Who up through Season 04, Torchwood up through 02
Warnings: AU like whoa, het (YES THAT'S RIGHT!)
Author's Notes: You were waiting on her, weren't you? That's right kids, Lisa's here! Thanks so much to my gorgeous betas totally4ryo and katestamps.
Previous chapters found here.
Book cover by et_muse
"Meeting Lisa. Falling in love. Never felt so alive."
-- Ianto Jones, Adam
It was her smile. That's what he wanted to say, at least, that it was her smile, but he'd be lying to himself if he did. It was just... everything.
Tad had taught him that personality was reflected in clothing, and the dress she was wearing proved him to be right yet again -- functional but stylish and flattering to her body, so she was no-nonsense but could have fun, no jewelry to slow her down. Her entire person radiated confidence and competence, from the clothes down to the way she was looking at him -- curiously, studying him and slightly amused at what she found.
"Are you - " he cleared his throat nervously and tried again. "Are you Miss Hallet?"
Then she smiled at him, white teeth almost blinding against her dark complexion and he knew he was smitten. "And you must be Mr. Jones."
"Ianto, ma'am, please."
Another smile, amused and sweet and friendly and reassuring and gorgeous. He forgot how to breathe for a moment.
"Then call me Lisa."
Lisa.
"I couldn't," Ianto protested. "You're -- you're upper class."
"Yes. Royalty, actually," she said in disinterest, waving a hand. "Cousin of a cousin, that sort of thing." She moved towards him, her skirts swishing as she slowly approached him. "But here in Torchwood House, we're all equals." She stopped when she was close enough to touch, close enough that he could smell her perfume. "So. Ianto or Mr. Jones?"
He swallowed hard. "I-Ianto." Oh, this was humiliating. He hadn't been like this since he was five and working his first day in the shop and stammering at the first beautiful woman who walked in.
"Ianto, what?" she prompted.
"Ianto, Miss Lisa."
She laughed at that and patted his cheek. "You are precious." She stepped back, motioning to a chair. "Sit, please."
He did as instructed, almost afraid his knees were going to give out before he did so, and she sat in the chair across from him. "Are you..." he began, unsure of what to say next. He wasn't quite sure how things were done in Torchwood House yet -- most of the younger students in the Academy weren't Mages, so Ianto wasn't sure how much he should or shouldn't say yet.
"Am I like you?" she guessed. Ianto nodded, and she shook her head. "No, but my brother is one, so I am aware of Torchwood House's other... academic discipline. And don't worry, I'm not a one of your teachers." Here she paused to laugh. "Speaking of ranks, here at Torchwood House you're over me. I'm just here today to see how far along your -- normal -- education is, and answer any questions you have may have."
Ianto thought about one he'd had in his head since he'd waved at his family from Myfanwy that morning. "I don't know if you'd know the answer, but do you know if magic power is hereditary? The Doctor mentioned Mage families and I have two siblings and a nephew."
"It can be," Lisa said, giving him a smile. "From what I understand, it's like a child showing a trait his grandfather or great-grandfather possessed -- a fair-haired child from dark-haired parents. Some get it, others don't." She gave a little shrug. "I guess I'm a dark-haired child."
Ianto smiled shyly at her joke.
"You're nervous, aren't you?" She tucked an errant strand of black hair behind her ear. "Haven't you ever seen anyone like me?"
He gave her an odd look. Wales was a haven for all types considered 'undesirable' by other kingdoms nearby, and as thus it was incredibly tolerant. As long as a person was hardworking and honest, most people left the others to themselves. He'd seen all types come through the doors of his father's shop.
Then he realized what the Doctor's game had been. Torchwood Academy was known for drawing in people around the world, so he threw Ianto into a position where he thought the newest member of the House would feel completely off-point.
Well. This was certainly not what he'd expected.
After a long moment, he shook his head. "Never like you, Miss Lisa," he said, the awe evident in his voice.
A blush graced her cheeks, making her beautiful color turn a few shades darker. Emboldened, he reached out and put a hand on her cheek, comparing the white of his own hand against the dark of her skin. "I've never seen anyone as beautiful as you."
Her blush deepened and Ianto smiled at her. "Have you ever seen anyone like me?" he teased her.
She brought a hand up to cover his, leaning into his touch. Her skin was soft but there were callouses where she'd held a pen. "Yes," she replied, giving him a teasing smile. "Men like you are all over." Ianto gave her a scowl, and Lisa laughed, musical and perfect. "But you, Mr. Jones, I like."
He smiled, leaning in to her. "Miss Lisa, I'm afraid I have to kiss you."
"You have to?" she echoed, but didn't pull away. If anything, she leaned in.
"I'll die if I don't."
"We can't have that," she said, her words lowering to a whisper.
"No, it would be very irresponsible of you," he replied, his own voice dropping. Their faces moved a little closer, lips so close he could feel the heat coming off of her skin.
The sound of someone clearing their throat came from behind them and the two jumped guiltily. Ianto looked over the back of his chair and saw Jack standing in the doorway, arms crossed across his chest. Not happy.
"Miss Hallet, I believe Ianto and I will be taking our leave," he said and they could hear the ice in his voice.
"Of course, Jack," she replied, standing and giving him a placating smile. When the other man turned and left the room, she leaned down over him and pressed a quick, chaste kiss against Ianto's mouth. Ianto didn't even have time to react before she was pulling away. "I'll be seeing you around, Mr. Jones," she said softly before sweeping out of the door.
Ianto almost skipped down the hall after Jack once he remembered how his legs worked.