Fic: Marriage is a Verb 1/3
Title: Marriage is a Verb
Author: remuslives23
Prompt: Runaway Bride
Pairing/Characters: Ianto/Jack, Ianto/Lisa, Ianto/Andy, Ianto/Rose, Ianto/Tommy, Tosh/Owen, Gwen, Rhiannon, Martha, Mickey
Rating: R
Word Count: 20 472
Warnings: Sexual situations, language
Disclaimer: The characters and 'Torchwood' are the property of Russell T Davies, the BBC and affiliates. The scenario is adapted from the film, 'Runaway Bride' which is property of Paramount Pictures and Touchstone Pictures. No offense is intended and no profit is being made from this work of fan fiction. Credit for dialogue used from 'Runaway Bride' to Josann McGibbon and Sara Parriott. Title and summary adapted from a quote by Barbara De Angelis.
Summary: Marriage isn't something you get; it's something you do. Ianto Jones is all for getting married. He's nearly done it four times, after all. It's the doing part that makes him run a mile.
Author Notes: Thank you to my Beta, dogsunderfoot, for her patience, encouragement, and superior knowledge of punctuation. Thanks to my flist for providing help when I screamed for it and pats on the back when I finally finished.
PDF available here but I've never done one before so let me know if this doesn't work!
A nerve-jangling jingle blared out of the speaker and Jack Harkness winced, flicking off the radio in his SUV. He glanced out the window, hoping to see some sign of civilisation, but instead, was greeted with green grass as far as the eye could see, the occasional sheep dotting the landscape.
'Not in Cardiff anymore, Toto,' he muttered, shifting in his seat to try and get more comfortable as he mentally reviewed his current situation.
Andy Davidson. He certainly was a dark horse. The police officer had always struck Jack as nice enough, but a bit hopeless in the love stakes; most definitely not the kind of man to secretly conduct a secret affair with, and become engaged to, another man.
Although, thought Jack uncharitably, he does seem the kind to get left standing at the altar.
The phone rang and Jack cursed as Gwen Cooper's name popped up on the display. He resisted the urge to hang up on her and answered the call with a sulky, 'What?'
Her giggle only irritated him even further and his finger lingered over the End button as she spoke.
'Aren't you enjoying your trip to the countryside, Jack?'
'What do you want, Gwen?'
She laughed again then Jack heard the rustling of paper. 'Andy called me,' she began, and Jack groaned dramatically.
'Isn't it enough that I'm actually checking out his ridiculous claims?' Jack complained. 'Can't the man just accept that this...' He checked the name on the file sitting on the passenger seat, '... Ianto Jones simply changed his mind and jilted him? I know he's pissed this guy's engaged again so soon after dumping him, but really, what does he expect me to do four months later? '
'Jack,' she said in her sensible, listen-to-me-because-I-know-best voice. 'Andy found another one.'
Jack looked away from the road and stared at the phone as if it would confirm Gwen's information. 'Another?' he said with a frown as he turned his attention back to the road in time to navigate a sharp bend. 'How many is that then?'
'Three, including Andy,' she told him, a little too much smugness in her tone for Jack's liking. 'Three perfectly happy relationships - they all got along like a house on fire - then halfway down the aisle, Ianto Jones gets this blank look on his face and... runs.'
'Runaway bride,' Jack murmured then grinned when he heard Gwen huff. 'You want to smack me right now, don't you?'
'Very much,' she said curtly. 'Listen, Jack. I know you don't think there's anything alien about this and you're probably right, but it won't hurt to check it out and then...' She hesitated and Jack grimaced. He knew what was coming. 'You need a break, Jack.'
Jack forced a smile onto his face. 'I've just come back from a break.'
Gwen tsked. 'I don't know what happened while you were away with the Doctor,' she said gently. 'But I do know that it wasn't anything like a pleasure trip.'
Jack swallowed hard as she continued. 'You've been jumpy and depressed for a month now, Jack. Just... take some time out, alright? I know the Beacons don't have great connotations for us...'
Jack barked out a laugh at the understatement. 'Yeah, cannibals really do have a way of putting a dampener on a vacation,' he said acerbically.
Gwen ignored him. '...but it is beautiful out there, and quiet and, despite what Andy believes, probably free of anything alien. Just... spend some time getting over whatever it is you won't tell us.'
Jack blinked back the tears that threatened and cleared his throat. 'Thanks, Gwen,' he murmured, knowing she was right. He needed some time to get his head in the right place, to find meaning in what he did again. 'Call me if you need me there...'
'We'll be fine, Jack,' she said blithely. 'Just keep me up to date on Andy's bloke. You know, I kind of hope there is some kind of mind control involved. I'm not looking forward to telling Andy that this Ianto just wasn't that into him.'
'No,' Jack agreed, making a face as he recalled the police officer's snotty, tear-streaked face as he explained his theory that his fiancé was under the influence of some kind of alien mind control device.
'He wouldn't do this to me! We were happy!'
Jack doubted there was any validity to the theory, but had been convinced by Gwen to look into it - and take some time for himself at the same time.
He hadn't told his team about his travels with the Doctor, about the Valiant or the Master. It hadn't happened for them and they saw enough of the universe's horrors without him exposing them to more. Jack scrubbed at his eyes which were stinging a little from exhaustion. Perhaps they were right. A few days off, maybe a flirtation with a country boy or girl, might be just what the Doctor... well, just what he needed.
*
Ianto Jones smiled at Lisa Hallett as he handed over the hazelnut latte then leaned in for a kiss. 'Not long now before I'm Lisa Jones,' she murmured, and Ianto smiled.
'Can't wait,' he said, giving her another quick peck on the lips.
'Did you speak with the celebrant?' Lisa asked, sipping her drink and closing her eyes as the flavours slid smoothly over her tongue.
'Yep,' Ianto replied, tugging a cloth from his apron and wiping a splash of hazelnut flavouring from the counter top. 'And I'll see about the cake once my slave driver boss lets me have a moment to myself.'
'I heard that,' Rhiannon Davies said, slapping her brother across the back of the head as she carried a tray full of dirty cups to the kitchen. 'And see that Betty at the bakery gives you a discount. You've sure as hell spent enough money on wedding cakes there in the past. You should get the fourth for free.'
'Funny, Rhi,' Ianto muttered, frowning down at the counter as he continued to scrub at the now non-existent spot.
'Ignore her, Yan,' Lisa said, patting his hand. 'You just needed to find the right person. This will be the last wedding cake you'll have to order.'
She gave him a smug little smile that grated on his nerves almost as much as her shortening of his name, but he smiled and nodded.
'Have a good day,' he said quietly, letting her kiss his cheek perfunctorily before she left. Ianto watched her go, her slim hips swaying cheekily, a broad grin on her face.
She's so certain all the time, he thought. So positive that we're perfect for each other.
Ianto turned to the sink to wash the cups and saucers Rhiannon had dumped there, wishing he was as certain as Lisa was. He loved her. He was sure he loved her. He liked being with her, she made him laugh, she wanted a family and a house...
Ianto felt a familiar niggle of uncertainty itching inside his chest. He dropped the cup into the soapy water and braced his hands on the edge of the sink as he took deep breaths. He wanted this. He wanted everything Lisa wanted.
Ianto bit his lip. He loved his life in Talgarth. He enjoyed working with Rhi in her coffee shop, and he liked the easygoing pace of the small town. Everyone knew him here, he was comfortable, and he wanted to set up a house and have kids and bring them up here.
But there was a little part of him, a tiny minuscule part of him, that longed for something more. More exciting, more action-packed, more passionate. He just wasn't sure what it was he yearned for, or how to go about getting it.
He sighed and plunged his hands into the hot, bubbly water again, his racing mind barely registering the tinkle of the chimes as the door opened or Rhiannon's voice as she greeted the newcomer. He was, however, startled out of his contemplation by the loud American accent that seemed to boom throughout the shop.
'Hello there, gorgeous! I like my coffee the same as I like my women - hot and strong.'
Ianto snorted softly to himself. Crass American. A smile twitched at the corner of his lips. Rhi'll put him in his place.
He waited to hear his sister tell this smarmy foreigner where he could shove his coffee, but the admonishment never came. Instead, Ianto was startled to hear a giggle and the rustle of Rhiannon's skirt as she hurried to the coffee machine.
Peering over his shoulder, Ianto could see what he assumed was the American's shoulder, clad in a thick wool military-style coat. His gaze shifted to Rhiannon and he was bemused to see the pink tint to her cheeks and her flustered motions as she made the coffee.
'So, are you just passing through town, or staying around for a while?' Rhiannon asked, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear as she stared coquettishly through her eyelashes at the customer.
'Well, now that I've seen the sights this place has to offer, I think I might hang around a while,' the deep voice said flirtatiously and, much to Ianto's disgust, his sister giggled again.
Ianto rolled his eyes and shook his head as he turned back to his washing up. He listened absently while Rhiannon extolled the virtues of the town then, as he lifted the last of the saucers into the drainer, he heard his own name and froze.
'... hoping to meet Ianto Jones, actually,' said the man, rolling the vowels on his tongue obscenely, making the saucers slip a little in Ianto's suddenly shaky hands. 'Is he a relative?'
'Ianto?' Rhiannon said, and Ianto could tell she was frowning. He looked over his shoulder and saw her glance his way. 'He's my brother. What do you want with him?'
'We have a mutual friend,' the man replied.
Ianto twisted his upper body around, trying to catch a glimpse of the man who knew his name just as Rhiannon asked, 'Oh, yeah? Who's that then?'
'Andy Davidson.'
Ianto almost lost his balance, flailing desperately to keep himself upright. His arm knocked the drainer and the saucers he'd just washed fell to the ground with a crash and shattered at Ianto's feet.
'Shit!'
He crouched on the ground, carefully picking up the larger shards of china. He could feel eyes boring into him and tried to ignore the prickle of heat that burned his skin through his shirt. Ianto tossed the pieces of broken saucer into a nearby bin and was reaching for a dust pan when the shift of air around him alerted him to the presence of another person.
Another person who smelled bloody amazing.
Ianto breathed in deeply, inhaling a scent that was warm and musky and what fucking fabulous sex should smell like and, even before he dared to look over his shoulder, he could feel arousal swirling lazily in his gut.
'Need some help?'
Ianto's gaze inched its way up the long, strong legs - trying not to linger for too long on the fabric stretched across the narrow hips - over the blue shirt covered chest then came to rest on the most ridiculously handsome face he'd ever seen. The man grinned as though he knew exactly what Ianto was thinking then winked.
'Never knew Andy had it in him,' he said, the grin turning into a leer as his eyes wandered along Ianto's spine until it reached his arse. The man's tongue flicked at his bottom lip, making that arousal in Ianto's stomach coil tighter. 'I'm assuming you are Ianto Jones?'
Ianto stood up so fast his head spun and he backed up, clutching at the counter behind him for support. 'Who are you?' he demanded, glancing behind the American to see Rhiannon's wide-eyed gaze fixed on the other man's arse. He narrowed his eyes, watching her as she realised what she was doing and shook herself out of her stupor.
'You... you shouldn't be back here,' she said weakly, but the other man ignored her.
'Captain Jack Harkness,' he said in answer to Ianto's question. He held out a hand and Ianto eyed it as if worried it would bite him. Finally, he pried his fingers off the counter and took it, giving it a quick shake before withdrawing his hand fast. Captain Harkness grinned. 'It's a pleasure to meet you, Ianto Jones.'
'You know Andy?' Ianto asked, flexing his hand.
Jack smiled, but this time, it failed to reach his eyes. 'Through a colleague,' he confirmed then he looked over his shoulder. Rhiannon was glancing from Ianto to Harkness, curiosity burning in her eyes. 'Is there somewhere we can go to talk privately?'
Ianto bit his lip as he weighed his options. 'Is Andy alright?' he asked and Harkness nodded.
Ianto sighed. Andy wouldn't send someone after him to rough him up or anything. He was pretty upset with Ianto, but he wasn't crazy. 'Come on then,' he finally said, quickly untying his apron and hanging it neatly on the hook near the sink. 'We can go to mine.'
He turned to Rhiannon who nodded that she'd be fine then asked over his shoulder, 'Want your coffee to go?'
Jack nodded and Rhiannon quickly made him a fresh cup. 'You want one too, Ianto?' she asked.
'Yeah, just give me whatever you made him,' Ianto mumbled, pulling on his coat. He handed Jack his takeaway cup, scowling when he caught the other man staring at his arse.
'Listen,' he said sharply. 'I don't know what you want, but when we get to my place, you've got ten minutes to tell me before I wipe that smug smile off your face. Alright?'
Without waiting for a response, Ianto snatched his cup off Rhiannon and stomped out the back door, not looking back to see if Harkness was following.
*
'Let me see if I understand,' Ianto said, staring at Jack dubiously. 'You work for a secret organisation that hunts aliens and you think that I might have been exposed to some kind of... mind control?'
'Well, when you put it like that, it sounds crazy.'
Ianto blinked. 'So, I misunderstood?'
'Not at all,' Jack said with a blinding grin. 'I'm just saying that it does sound mad when you say it like that.'
Jack chuckled as Ianto rolled his eyes. 'I must say that you are taking this rather well,' he said, pulling his hand-held scanner from his pocket with an unnecessary flourish. 'There's usually a lot more head shaking and swearing and threats to call the police.'
'I'm Welsh, sir. We don't do hysterics.'
'Admirable.'
Ianto bit his lip then asked tentatively, 'So it is real then? There really is more out there? Other worlds?'
Jack beamed and gave Ianto a nod as he compressed the red button on the side of the device. 'There sure is,' he said then he held out the scanner. 'Now, if I could just run this over that rather delightful looking body of yours, we can have this sorted and start getting to know each other better in just a few minutes.'
Ianto pushed himself to his feet, hands automatically moving to unbutton his jacket as he cautiously eyed the scanner. 'Can I ask exactly what makes you think I'm under some kind of alien influence?'
'PC Andy,' Jack murmured, slowly moving the scanner over every inch of Ianto's body. 'He seems to think that your behaviour at your interrupted nuptials was uncharacteristic.'
A choking sound made Jack glance up, and he frowned at the bewildered expression on Ianto's face. 'He thought... Oh, God.' Ianto sank back down into his seat, burying his face in his hands.
Jack lowered the scanner, his hand straying unconsciously to the butt of his holstered weapon. 'What is it?'
Ianto looked up, his face distressed. 'Andy really thinks I was... possessed, and that's why I called the civil partnership off?'
Jack raised an eyebrow in confirmation, and Ianto closed his eyes with a groan. 'I can't... I didn't realise I hurt him so badly.' He cracked open his eyes and peered up at Jack. 'I didn't deserve Andy. I loved him, but not the way he deserved, not the way I needed to in order to spend my life with him.'
'You just changed your mind then?' Jack asked, cocking his head. 'Just like that?'
Ianto sighed. 'Haven't you ever made a mistake?' he said wearily, dragging a hand through his thick hair and ruffling it endearingly. 'Thought you felt something that wasn't really there?'
Jack shrugged a shoulder in admission. 'Of course,' he confessed, slipping the scanner - result negative - back into his coat. He sat on the settee opposite Ianto and looked closely at the man. 'But you seem to have made more mistakes than most people.'
Ianto lost his tired countenance and sat up ramrod straight. 'Have you been checking up on me?' he snapped indignantly.
'I didn't come all the way out here based on one man's broken heart,' Jack said, tone steely. 'You've had an extraordinary number of relationships fall apart just metres from the altar. One or even two you could pass off as indecisiveness, but three? And I understand you're working on victim number four right now. The wedding's in a couple of weeks, right?'
'Lisa is not...' Ianto pressed his lips together and Jack saw a flare of fury in those remarkably blue eyes. When he continued, his voice was tightly controlled. 'I love Lisa. I made some mistakes in the past - my mistakes, not alien intervention,' he said scathingly, 'but I won't repeat them this time.'
'Because you love this one?' Jack said doubtfully.
'Get out!'
Jack smiled ruefully and rose more slowly than Ianto, who had shot to his feet and was pointing towards the front door. 'What makes this one special?' he asked as he slowly sauntered in the direction of the exit. 'What is it about her that's going to make you break what seems to be becoming a habit?'
'I love her!'
Jack paused by the door. He gave Ianto a thorough once over, his mouth crooking up at the corner when he saw how his attention discomforted Ianto. 'Like you loved the others?' he asked quietly, seeing exactly what he expected to see in Ianto's eyes.
A flicker of doubt.
There was no way Ianto Jones was going to be marrying his latest partner. And it was nothing to do with aliens or mind control. Ianto was doing this of his own accord and that tweaked Jack's interest more than an extra-terrestrial explanation.
Ianto flung the door open and stood stony-faced with his hands on his hips. 'I wish I could say it was nice to meet you, Captain Harkness,' he said, voice devoid of emotion. 'Have a safe trip back to Cardiff.'
Jack's burgeoning smile morphed into a grin. Gwen's suggestion to take a few days away from Torchwood and Cardiff suddenly didn't seem like such a bad idea.
'Oh, I'm not going right back to Cardiff,' Jack said breezily as he walked out onto the porch that wrapped around the house. 'I think a few days breathing in the fresh country air will do me the world of good.'
He smirked at Ianto who, without a moment's pause, slammed the door in Jack's face.
Jack chuckled, checking his scanner again and satisfying himself that there were absolutely no traces of Rift energy. He shoved it back into his pocket and bounced down the stairs, whistling as he went. He felt energized for the first time in a very long time. Ianto Jones intrigued him. He seemed so sensible and rational. What would possess him to make such bad decisions time after time? To allow things to go so far as a church and a tuxedo then run away?
Jack looked back over his shoulder at the house and saw a curtain quickly fall back into place. He grinned as he made his way back to the coffee shop to pry some answers out of Ianto's sister.
Aliens or not, this was going to be a very interesting few days.
*
Ianto spent the rest of the afternoon pounding and kicking his boxing bag, stopping only when his limbs were trembling from exertion. He collapsed, breathless, into a dining room chair, tugging at the laces of his boxing gloves with his teeth.
'Ianto!' called a chirpy voice and Ianto groaned at his fiancée's cheerfulness.
'You'll never guess what happened today,' he called out, finally getting the laces undone. He pulled the glove off then worked on the second one. 'This bloke came all the way from Cardiff because he thought I was being controlled by aliens or something. He ran a scanner over me and everything.'
He threw the gloves onto the table and made his way through to the living area. 'It's nutters like him that make me glad to be well away from the madness of the big cities.'
He smiled as he entered the room and his gaze fell on Lisa. She grinned back at him then, as she came forward to greet him, Ianto caught sight of another figure standing by the fireplace.
'Hi, love,' Lisa said, hugging Ianto quickly then pulling back. 'You've already met Jack, haven't you?'
Ianto's jaw dropped before he could stop it and he stammered,' Wha... What...?'
'I called in to see you at the coffee shop after work and you weren't there,' Lisa admonished lightly as she pulled Ianto towards the settee. 'But Jack was there and we got talking and he mentioned he'd met you earlier.'
Jack smiled beatifically at Ianto who experienced an increasingly familiar desire to smack those perfect teeth down his throat and nearly missed Lisa's next words. '... invited him to dinner.'
'What?'
Lisa blinked at his sharp tone. 'I invited him to dinner,' she repeated slowly.
Ianto clenched his jaw and glared at Jack who looked as though he knew exactly what murderous thoughts were rushing through Ianto's head.
'Ianto, are you alright?'
With enormous effort, Ianto plastered a smile on his face and turned to look at a concerned Lisa. 'I'm fine,' he said with false cheer. 'I was just surprised to see... Jack here. I thought he was heading back to Cardiff.'
'What can I say?' Harkness said with a careless shrug that made Ianto's blood boil. 'I've fallen in love with your quaint little town and its very interesting and... informative people.'
Ianto's fingernails bit into his palm as the urge to punch the other man grew in intensity. Ianto glared at him as Lisa asked, 'Coffee, Jack?'
Harkness nodded. 'Black and strong, thanks,' he said then grinned at Ianto. 'Just like Ianto takes his.'
Lisa laughed, a puzzled expression on her face. 'Ianto doesn't drink black coffee,' she said, hugging Ianto's arm briefly. 'He likes lattes, don't you, love? We both drink our coffee the same way.' She turned to smile at Jack. 'It's a sign. We were meant to be.'
Jack's smile became incredulous, but Lisa didn't seem to notice, excusing herself to make the drinks. Ianto's burning ire quickly rose to supernova levels as Harkness unashamedly studied one framed photograph after another and poked through Ianto's magazines and books.
'What the hell do you think you're playing at?' Ianto hissed as soon as the kitchen door swung shut behind Lisa. 'I made it perfectly clear earlier that I want nothing more to do with you.'
'Your sister and fiancée don't share your distaste for me. I had a lovely afternoon talking to them about you,' Harkness said cheerfully, snorting out a laugh at a photograph of young Ianto in nothing but his birthday suit. 'Do you still have a penchant for nudity? Don't feel you need to dress on my account...'
Ianto scowled and stormed across the room, snatching the photograph out of Harkness' hands and non-too-gently returning it to the mantle. 'Why are you doing this? You got what you wanted - I'm not possessed by little green men - so just leave me alone.'
Harkness turned so he was standing toe to toe with Ianto, the two men evenly matched for height. Ianto couldn't help but be aware of how much broader and muscular than himself Jack Harkness was, and was alarmed by the tiny shiver of awareness that dripped down his spine. With difficulty, he met the other man's unwavering gaze; the unexpected shimmer of sorrow and loneliness not entirely hidden by the sheen of mischievous interest Harkness was trying to project.
'I won't leave you alone because you baffle me,' Harkness said, his little smug smirk telling Ianto he was well aware of the close scrutiny. 'I'm a good judge of character usually - I know people - and you... you make no sense. It's been a long time since I couldn't work someone out in ten minutes flat.' He flashed Ianto a wide grin; Ianto studiously ignoring the coinciding flutter in his stomach. 'I want to know what makes you tick.'
He leaned in closer, Ianto halting his instinctive reaction to get as far away from this man as possible and standing his ground. He could feel Harkness' breath tickling his cheek and his mouth went dry.
'And you're pretty, Ianto Jones,' he whispered, Ianto jumping as Harkness' hand brushed against his thigh. 'I like pretty things.'
As Harkness' hand trailed closer to Ianto's crotch, Ianto surrendered to his baser instincts and punched Jack Harkness right on his chiseled jaw.
*
Ianto woke the next day still fuming about Harkness' presumptuousness and cranky because Lisa had blamed him for Jack's rapid departure. She'd spent the rest of the evening running through the positive affirmations and visualisation techniques she'd learned at work with him before she finally went home.
He put in an appearance at the coffee shop - not sure if he was happy or disappointed that there was no sign of Harkness - only for Rhiannon to send him home after a couple of hours, snapping that his face was turning the milk sour. Ianto scowled and stomped out the door with a couple of takeaway coffees, the walk down the block spent plotting inventive ways to kill the man that had watered those tiny seeds of doubt in his head then exposed them to light, leaving him as they started to flourish.
A bell jangled as Ianto pushed open the door of a shop at the end of the street, and a voice called out loudly.
'Ianto, that you? Hand me that little screwdriver, will you?'
Ianto looked over the counter, his best friend's flapping arm all he could see. His mood immediately lifted and he grinned, putting one of the coffees he held down. Finding the tool in the small tool box, he reached over the counter and placed it in her flailing hand.
'Thanks,' she mumbled, the hand disappearing under the desk. 'That is the last time I let Owen anywhere near my computers.'
'I can't believe you let him touch your babies again,' Ianto laughed, sipping on his cardboard cup of coffee as he watched a glossy black head emerge from under the desk. 'He managed to break a monitor and strip all your wires last time.'
'Love makes you do crazy things,' Toshiko Sato said as she peered up at him. She spotted his coffee and pouted playfully. 'Where's mine?'
Ianto handed her the second cup and her eyes closed in pleasure as she inhaled the mocha-scented steam. 'Oh, you are a genius, Ianto Jones. What flavour did you get?'
Ianto held out a hand to help her stand. 'Same as you. And yes, making cups of coffee takes a Mensa level IQ,' he said dryly then he sighed. 'Stick with what you're good at, though, right?'
Tosh frowned. 'I keep telling you, Ianto, unless you want to be making coffee when you're grey and distinguished, get out of this town. Go to Cardiff, enroll in university, do something you want to do with your life instead of...'
She bit her lip and Ianto flinched at the abrupt halt. '... instead of working for my sister and accepting marriage proposals from all the wrong people in order to try and make my life more meaningful?'
Tosh raised an eyebrow curiously. 'Are you including Lisa in that assessment?' she asked and Ianto quickly shook his head.
'Of course not,' he said, flushing. 'I... I love Lisa...'
'Not enough to propose to her,' Tosh reminded him.
'She got in first, is all.'
'Hmm.' Tosh looked sceptical but dropped the subject, instead adopting a nonchalant expression before asking, 'So, who's this Harkness bloke that's so interested in you?'
Ianto looked startled. 'You heard about him?'
Tosh snorted. 'This is Talgarth, Ianto,' she reminded him. 'Everyone knew about him five minutes after he drove that monster SUV into town.' She sipped at her coffee. 'Owen and I met him at the coffee shop yesterday. He was talking with Rhi and Lisa. About you.'
Ianto groaned, burying his face in his hands. 'Why is he doing this? I am getting married and I am happy. Why did he have to show up now?'
Tosh looked closely at Ianto. 'He's very handsome,' she said tentatively and raised an eyebrow when Ianto groaned again.
As Tosh opened her mouth to question Ianto about this reaction, the door opened to admit an unusually jovial Owen Harper followed by -
'What the hell are you still doing here?'
Jack grinned that insufferably wide smile at Ianto before sharing a knowing look with Owen. 'Close enough,' Owen said, rummaging in the pocket of his jeans then slapping a ten pound note in Jack's hand.
'I told him you'd say that,' Jack explained, 'but he seemed to think you were too polite.'
'Can't say no to anyone,' Owen said with a laugh, punching Ianto on the arm playfully. 'He's got three barely worn tuxedos in his closet to prove it.'
Ianto forced himself to smile at what he knew was meant to be teasing, but the words had an edge that cut deeply. He'd already been nervous enough about his upcoming nuptials, but had been tolerating the inevitable jibes and not-subtle betting from the residents of their small community. Now, though, each remark seemed to rub against something raw inside him and he was beginning to bleed doubt and uncertainty again.
I just need to spend some time with Lisa. We'll laugh about Harkness together then go back to planning the wedding and it'll be fine.
His eyes flicked to Harkness' face then he quickly looked away when he saw the man's knowing gaze upon him.
'I should go,' he said, standing so fast he startled Tosh. 'Work to do. See you later.'
Tosh called his name but he ignored her, breathing a heavy sigh when he reached the footpath.
'Something wrong?' a deep, amused voice asked and Ianto's jaw clenched as he spun around to glare at Harkness.
'What are you doing?'
Harkness smiled. 'Right now,' he said cheerfully. 'I'm thinking you could show me around town.'
'Why on earth would I want to do that?'
'Because,' Harkness said with a triumphant smirk, 'you wouldn't want me roaming around on my own, talking to people, asking them questions...'
Ianto tasted iron as blood filled his mouth, his tongue stinging where his teeth had punctured it. 'Fine,' he spat, spinning on his heel. 'You can come with me on one condition, Harkness. No nasty comments about Lisa or my previous relationships.'
Harkness laid a hand over his heart. 'I swear upon my honour...'
Ianto looked disbelieving and Harkness laughed, the sound dripping with a disturbing seductiveness down Ianto's spine. 'Fair enough. I promise. No nasty comments.'
Ianto was dubious, but sighed. 'Fine,' he said wearily as he took off at a brisk pace. 'You can come with me on my errands for the wedding. See how serious I am for yourself.'
Jack chuckled as he fell into step alongside Ianto. 'Will you call me Jack instead of Harkness?'
'Fine.'
'Do I get to see your wedding dress?'
'Shut up.'
*
'I like that one.'
Ianto glanced at the four tiered, outrageously flowery and frilly cake and make a face. 'Leave choosing the cake to your fiancée when you find someone willing to put up with you,' he advised, turning back to the shopkeeper, Betty, with a smile. 'I'll take these cake toppers, thanks.' He handed her the tiny formally dressed plastic couple then jumped when Jack pressed up against him, peering over his shoulder at the tiny figures.
They'd been to the caterer, the jeweler, and the florist so far and Ianto hated to admit it, but he was actually enjoying Jack's company. Once he stopped insulting Ianto and asking questions about his former relationships, Ianto realised that he was funny and interesting, although evasive when asked about himself. He told a still-awed Ianto a little about his job and the people he worked with, and, as the day progressed, inadvertently revealed more than he realised about himself.
'You're very comfortable with all these wedding preparations,' Ianto noted as he counted out the correct money for the cake and figurines. 'You told me you weren't married now, but you were once, weren't you?'
Jack blinked in surprise and Ianto smirked. 'I knew it. You're divorced and lecturing me about marriage...'
'I'm not divorced,' Jack said, stepping back. 'But I was married.'
'What happened?' Ianto asked then, when Jack hesitated, he shook his head. 'Don't tell me you left? You stand there and judge me...'
'I did leave,' Jack admitted. 'But it was a different time and the circumstances... I didn't want to go.'
'But you did,' Ianto said, grabbing the point and running with it. 'You left.'
'Yes,' said Jack, and Ianto's victorious expression faded at the sound of the sorrow in Jack's voice. 'Yes, I left and she died.'
Ianto's mouth snapped shut and he closed his eyes. 'I'm sorry,' he said regretfully.
Jack shook his head and reached out to stroke a finger over the dress of one of the plastic figurines. 'It was a long time ago,' he said softly then he smiled. 'I knew from the moment I met her that I would marry her, that I wanted to spend a lifetime with her, but circumstances... I couldn't stay and then it was too late, but I wanted to. I wanted to stay.'
He looked at Ianto. 'Which is why I don't understand why you do what you do. How can you love someone enough to propose, to want to spend your life with them, then willingly walk away?'
Ianto looked pained and opened his mouth, but before he could form an answer, Betty returned. 'I'll bring the cake to Rhiannon's after the ceremony.' She tittered. 'I'll leave it in the car rather than make a special trip beforehand. You're never at the altar long, are you, dear?'
She patted Ianto's hand and smiled condescendingly at him then turned to Jack. 'Wedding cake freezes,' she shared. 'This we know.'
She laughed again, and Jack watched as Ianto forced himself to chuckle along with the joke. 'Thanks, Betty,' he said weakly, pulling his hand out from under hers and backing towards the door. 'I'll see you later.'
Jack followed him out the door, almost running into him as Ianto stopped abruptly on the footpath. 'Listen, you seem to have all these wrong ideas about me,' Ianto said suddenly, turning to look at Jack, 'and I want to try and make you see that I'm not trying to hurt anyone.'
'I'm willing to listen,' Jack said.
Ianto nodded and distractedly ran a hand through his hair as he muttered to himself, 'If it's the only way to stop you thinking that I'm this horrid person...'
He bit his lip then blurted loudly, 'And I didn't propose to them.' He looked as startled as Jack by his outburst but continued. 'They... I've never proposed to anyone.'
Jack's brow creased. 'But you keep saying yes.'
Ianto bit his lip and looked away. 'Yes, I do,' he agreed before he spun around and walked quickly away, calling over his shoulder. 'It's too late to finish my errands today. Come with me. I want to show you something.'
Jack trailed after him, a heavy weight on his heart. Ianto Jones wanted to be loved so very badly, and he reminded Jack so much of his own longing for someone special that it made him ache - for Ianto and for himself.
*
'Wow!'
A slow smile broke across Jack' s face as he looked around Ianto's private conservatory. Several powerful telescopes were set up in the middle of the room, all pointed towards the bank of glass skylights set into the roof.
'They open,' Ianto said, noticing Jack peering through the glass at the early evening sky. He reached for a handle on the wall and cranked it, watching the glass slide to the side, the cool air wafting in and ruffling his hair.
Jack closed his eyes and tilted his face high as the breeze caressed his skin then he glanced around the room. 'This is more than just a hobby,' he said, taking in the thick tomes that filled the book shelves lining the walls; the numerous hand drawn charts of the night sky, of constellations and star systems; the computer screen almost covered in sticky notes with coordinates and dates scrawled on them. 'You really love this stuff, don't you?'
Ianto smiled and, for the first time since Jack had met him, the smile reached his eyes. 'I do,' he said, trailing a hand lightly along the length of a telescope in a way that made Jack want to feel those fingers on him. 'I always loved looking up at the stars and imagining the life that must be out there, the civilisations; wondering if they were looking at Earth and doing the same thing.'
Jack chuckled. 'That's why you didn't freak out when I told you what I do,' he said, nudging Ianto gently in the ribs with his elbow. 'I just confirmed your suspicions.'
With a laugh, Ianto sat down, checking the coordinates on a telescope then adjusting it minutely. 'I did freak out a little,' he admitted. 'But I was more excited than anything. I came out here for a little while after you left and read through my books, wishing you weren't such an arse so I could ask you more about the things you've seen and done.'
Jack snorted. 'I can't tell you much,' he said with genuine regret. 'I probably shouldn't let you remember what I have told you...'
'But you will...'
Jack smiled at a worried Ianto. 'Yeah,' he said, ignoring the little nagging voice in his head that sounded a lot like Gwen. 'Yeah, I will.'
Ianto grinned - the smile lighting him up - and Jack silently cursed the other man as his attraction to him rose from 'annoyingly insistent' to 'I want to tear his pants off now'.
Oh, this is really, really bad.
*
'You've really never proposed to any of them?'
Ianto shot a dark look at Jack who just raised his beer to his mouth and quirked an eyebrow questioningly. Ianto sighed. 'No, I haven't,' he said. 'I guess they got to that point before me.'
He laughed. 'I don't think I'd know what to say anyway. I mean, flowery declarations of love and everlasting happiness aren't really my style and... well, they're bullshit, aren't they? I mean, the idea the everything is perfect just because you have a ring on your finger and change your surname by deed poll...'
'Considering how many weddings you've planned, you're not much of a romantic, are you?' Jack said, laughing when Ianto punched him in the arm.
'I guess I'm not,' Ianto sighed, downing the last of his ale and letting the bottle fall from his fingers to the floor of his shed with a clink. He leaned forward and put his eye to the nearest telescope.
He and Jack had been holed up looking at star charts and adjusting coordinates all afternoon and now it was dark outside. The stars shone bright in the clear sky above them while beer bottles and pizza boxes littered the floor at their feet. Jack had hinted that there might be some kind of heavenly event tonight, and they'd fallen into a surprisingly easy truce long enough to eat and get slightly wasted while they waited.
'I think you should be honest when you propose,' Jack said suddenly. 'Honest, but romantic.'
Ianto snorted inelegantly. 'Is that possible?' he asked.
Jack smiled and scooted his chair closer, wincing as it grated along the ground. 'Okay,' he said, settling back into his chair and staring at Ianto. 'If I was to get a proposal, I think that I'd want something real. Something that told me that you cared, but that you also knew this wasn't going to be a fairy tale.'
Ianto shifted in his chair, suddenly less at ease with Jack so close and looking at him so intently. 'Like...' he prompted, feeling a little ridiculous that he wanted to hear Jack's idea of a perfect proposal.
'Like...' Jack said then he paused, teeth gnawing at that beautifully curved bottom lip as he thought. Ianto licked his lips as the urge to bite at that lip washed over him with a force that made him shudder with the effort of holding back.
'Okay,' said Jack eventually. 'I'd say, "Look, I guarantee there'll be tough times. I guarantee, at some point, one or both of us is going to want to get out of this thing. But I also guarantee that if I don't ask you to be mine, I'll regret it the rest of my life. Because I know in my heart... you're the only one for me."'
Ianto stared at Jack, whose face was suddenly open and raw, and experienced an overwhelming desire to fall into his arms like a heroine in a romance novel. He frowned as he searched for something to say that would stop him humiliating himself.
'Is that what you said to your wife?'
Jack blinked and his face closed up. 'No,' he said, turning away from Ianto. 'I... I think I said something flowery and dishonest.'
There was a long moment of silence then Ianto said softly, 'I am sorry.'
Jack glanced at him. 'What for?'
'About your wife. I'm sorry you had to leave someone you loved. I'm sorry she died. You...' Ianto took a deep breath. 'There is a possibility that you are not a complete bastard, and I'm sorry things didn't work out for you.'
Jack huffed out a laugh. 'Yeah, so am I.' He looked at Ianto. 'Although I am a complete bastard.'
Ianto chuckled and looked up at the sky. 'Oh!' he cried, seeing light streak across the sky. 'Jack!'
They fumbled for their telescopes, watching the shooting stars through the lenses until it became clear the show was over. Ianto sat back and stared at Jack.
'How did you know?'
Jack reached for the last slice of cold pizza and smiled. 'I got a message from my co-workers today that a fleet of Madorian leisure ships were wanting to take a short cut through our atmosphere tonight on their way to one of the pleasure planets.'
Ianto's mouth fell open. 'P... Pleasure planets? Ships...? That... that was a space ship?'
Jack grinned and scooped up his almost-forgotten beer bottle, giving it a little shake and listening to the leftover liquid slosh around. 'Several space ships, actually,' he said before swallowing down the last few mouthfuls. He grimaced as the warm liquor hit his palate then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. 'Madorian. They can hold up to a thousand passengers.'
'Aliens,' Ianto whispered, eyes rounding as he stared at Jack before turning to gaze up at the sky. 'God, Jack. Your life...'
Jack watched Ianto's glowing face and smiled softly. 'It's not as exciting as it seems,' he said quietly. 'It's a lot of responsibility. It's not all light shows and wonder. Some of it is... '
He closed his eyes as flashes of his time with the Master, his face-off with the Daleks on Satellite Five assaulted his mind. He shuddered then snapped open his eyes when he felt a hand cover his.
'You've seen terrible things?' Ianto whispered.
Jack inhaled deeply and tightened his hand around Ianto's. 'Yeah,' he whispered then he plastered a smile on his face. 'But I've seen the good stuff too. The pleasure planets... Oh, Ianto. I wish you could see it. You would love it. The decadence, the hedonism...'
'Jack.'
He heard the tempered warning in Ianto's tone and sighed. 'It was pretty bad,' he admitted. 'But I can't tell you about it.'
Ianto stared at him for a moment then nodded. 'Well,' he said, sitting back in his seat and staring up at the sky that would never look the same again to him. 'It's good to know you're out there protecting us from all the nasty stuff, although I do like the sound of these Pleasure Planets.'
Jack smiled and raised his eyes to the velvety sky as well. He wasn't sure Ianto realised he was still holding his hand but, when Ianto gave it another quick squeeze, Jack's breath caught in his throat. He groaned as he realised that he'd just lost a little of his heart to Ianto Jones.
Part Two
Author: remuslives23
Prompt: Runaway Bride
Pairing/Characters: Ianto/Jack, Ianto/Lisa, Ianto/Andy, Ianto/Rose, Ianto/Tommy, Tosh/Owen, Gwen, Rhiannon, Martha, Mickey
Rating: R
Word Count: 20 472
Warnings: Sexual situations, language
Disclaimer: The characters and 'Torchwood' are the property of Russell T Davies, the BBC and affiliates. The scenario is adapted from the film, 'Runaway Bride' which is property of Paramount Pictures and Touchstone Pictures. No offense is intended and no profit is being made from this work of fan fiction. Credit for dialogue used from 'Runaway Bride' to Josann McGibbon and Sara Parriott. Title and summary adapted from a quote by Barbara De Angelis.
Summary: Marriage isn't something you get; it's something you do. Ianto Jones is all for getting married. He's nearly done it four times, after all. It's the doing part that makes him run a mile.
Author Notes: Thank you to my Beta, dogsunderfoot, for her patience, encouragement, and superior knowledge of punctuation. Thanks to my flist for providing help when I screamed for it and pats on the back when I finally finished.
PDF available here but I've never done one before so let me know if this doesn't work!
A nerve-jangling jingle blared out of the speaker and Jack Harkness winced, flicking off the radio in his SUV. He glanced out the window, hoping to see some sign of civilisation, but instead, was greeted with green grass as far as the eye could see, the occasional sheep dotting the landscape.
'Not in Cardiff anymore, Toto,' he muttered, shifting in his seat to try and get more comfortable as he mentally reviewed his current situation.
Andy Davidson. He certainly was a dark horse. The police officer had always struck Jack as nice enough, but a bit hopeless in the love stakes; most definitely not the kind of man to secretly conduct a secret affair with, and become engaged to, another man.
Although, thought Jack uncharitably, he does seem the kind to get left standing at the altar.
The phone rang and Jack cursed as Gwen Cooper's name popped up on the display. He resisted the urge to hang up on her and answered the call with a sulky, 'What?'
Her giggle only irritated him even further and his finger lingered over the End button as she spoke.
'Aren't you enjoying your trip to the countryside, Jack?'
'What do you want, Gwen?'
She laughed again then Jack heard the rustling of paper. 'Andy called me,' she began, and Jack groaned dramatically.
'Isn't it enough that I'm actually checking out his ridiculous claims?' Jack complained. 'Can't the man just accept that this...' He checked the name on the file sitting on the passenger seat, '... Ianto Jones simply changed his mind and jilted him? I know he's pissed this guy's engaged again so soon after dumping him, but really, what does he expect me to do four months later? '
'Jack,' she said in her sensible, listen-to-me-because-I-know-best voice. 'Andy found another one.'
Jack looked away from the road and stared at the phone as if it would confirm Gwen's information. 'Another?' he said with a frown as he turned his attention back to the road in time to navigate a sharp bend. 'How many is that then?'
'Three, including Andy,' she told him, a little too much smugness in her tone for Jack's liking. 'Three perfectly happy relationships - they all got along like a house on fire - then halfway down the aisle, Ianto Jones gets this blank look on his face and... runs.'
'Runaway bride,' Jack murmured then grinned when he heard Gwen huff. 'You want to smack me right now, don't you?'
'Very much,' she said curtly. 'Listen, Jack. I know you don't think there's anything alien about this and you're probably right, but it won't hurt to check it out and then...' She hesitated and Jack grimaced. He knew what was coming. 'You need a break, Jack.'
Jack forced a smile onto his face. 'I've just come back from a break.'
Gwen tsked. 'I don't know what happened while you were away with the Doctor,' she said gently. 'But I do know that it wasn't anything like a pleasure trip.'
Jack swallowed hard as she continued. 'You've been jumpy and depressed for a month now, Jack. Just... take some time out, alright? I know the Beacons don't have great connotations for us...'
Jack barked out a laugh at the understatement. 'Yeah, cannibals really do have a way of putting a dampener on a vacation,' he said acerbically.
Gwen ignored him. '...but it is beautiful out there, and quiet and, despite what Andy believes, probably free of anything alien. Just... spend some time getting over whatever it is you won't tell us.'
Jack blinked back the tears that threatened and cleared his throat. 'Thanks, Gwen,' he murmured, knowing she was right. He needed some time to get his head in the right place, to find meaning in what he did again. 'Call me if you need me there...'
'We'll be fine, Jack,' she said blithely. 'Just keep me up to date on Andy's bloke. You know, I kind of hope there is some kind of mind control involved. I'm not looking forward to telling Andy that this Ianto just wasn't that into him.'
'No,' Jack agreed, making a face as he recalled the police officer's snotty, tear-streaked face as he explained his theory that his fiancé was under the influence of some kind of alien mind control device.
'He wouldn't do this to me! We were happy!'
Jack doubted there was any validity to the theory, but had been convinced by Gwen to look into it - and take some time for himself at the same time.
He hadn't told his team about his travels with the Doctor, about the Valiant or the Master. It hadn't happened for them and they saw enough of the universe's horrors without him exposing them to more. Jack scrubbed at his eyes which were stinging a little from exhaustion. Perhaps they were right. A few days off, maybe a flirtation with a country boy or girl, might be just what the Doctor... well, just what he needed.
*
Ianto Jones smiled at Lisa Hallett as he handed over the hazelnut latte then leaned in for a kiss. 'Not long now before I'm Lisa Jones,' she murmured, and Ianto smiled.
'Can't wait,' he said, giving her another quick peck on the lips.
'Did you speak with the celebrant?' Lisa asked, sipping her drink and closing her eyes as the flavours slid smoothly over her tongue.
'Yep,' Ianto replied, tugging a cloth from his apron and wiping a splash of hazelnut flavouring from the counter top. 'And I'll see about the cake once my slave driver boss lets me have a moment to myself.'
'I heard that,' Rhiannon Davies said, slapping her brother across the back of the head as she carried a tray full of dirty cups to the kitchen. 'And see that Betty at the bakery gives you a discount. You've sure as hell spent enough money on wedding cakes there in the past. You should get the fourth for free.'
'Funny, Rhi,' Ianto muttered, frowning down at the counter as he continued to scrub at the now non-existent spot.
'Ignore her, Yan,' Lisa said, patting his hand. 'You just needed to find the right person. This will be the last wedding cake you'll have to order.'
She gave him a smug little smile that grated on his nerves almost as much as her shortening of his name, but he smiled and nodded.
'Have a good day,' he said quietly, letting her kiss his cheek perfunctorily before she left. Ianto watched her go, her slim hips swaying cheekily, a broad grin on her face.
She's so certain all the time, he thought. So positive that we're perfect for each other.
Ianto turned to the sink to wash the cups and saucers Rhiannon had dumped there, wishing he was as certain as Lisa was. He loved her. He was sure he loved her. He liked being with her, she made him laugh, she wanted a family and a house...
Ianto felt a familiar niggle of uncertainty itching inside his chest. He dropped the cup into the soapy water and braced his hands on the edge of the sink as he took deep breaths. He wanted this. He wanted everything Lisa wanted.
Ianto bit his lip. He loved his life in Talgarth. He enjoyed working with Rhi in her coffee shop, and he liked the easygoing pace of the small town. Everyone knew him here, he was comfortable, and he wanted to set up a house and have kids and bring them up here.
But there was a little part of him, a tiny minuscule part of him, that longed for something more. More exciting, more action-packed, more passionate. He just wasn't sure what it was he yearned for, or how to go about getting it.
He sighed and plunged his hands into the hot, bubbly water again, his racing mind barely registering the tinkle of the chimes as the door opened or Rhiannon's voice as she greeted the newcomer. He was, however, startled out of his contemplation by the loud American accent that seemed to boom throughout the shop.
'Hello there, gorgeous! I like my coffee the same as I like my women - hot and strong.'
Ianto snorted softly to himself. Crass American. A smile twitched at the corner of his lips. Rhi'll put him in his place.
He waited to hear his sister tell this smarmy foreigner where he could shove his coffee, but the admonishment never came. Instead, Ianto was startled to hear a giggle and the rustle of Rhiannon's skirt as she hurried to the coffee machine.
Peering over his shoulder, Ianto could see what he assumed was the American's shoulder, clad in a thick wool military-style coat. His gaze shifted to Rhiannon and he was bemused to see the pink tint to her cheeks and her flustered motions as she made the coffee.
'So, are you just passing through town, or staying around for a while?' Rhiannon asked, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear as she stared coquettishly through her eyelashes at the customer.
'Well, now that I've seen the sights this place has to offer, I think I might hang around a while,' the deep voice said flirtatiously and, much to Ianto's disgust, his sister giggled again.
Ianto rolled his eyes and shook his head as he turned back to his washing up. He listened absently while Rhiannon extolled the virtues of the town then, as he lifted the last of the saucers into the drainer, he heard his own name and froze.
'... hoping to meet Ianto Jones, actually,' said the man, rolling the vowels on his tongue obscenely, making the saucers slip a little in Ianto's suddenly shaky hands. 'Is he a relative?'
'Ianto?' Rhiannon said, and Ianto could tell she was frowning. He looked over his shoulder and saw her glance his way. 'He's my brother. What do you want with him?'
'We have a mutual friend,' the man replied.
Ianto twisted his upper body around, trying to catch a glimpse of the man who knew his name just as Rhiannon asked, 'Oh, yeah? Who's that then?'
'Andy Davidson.'
Ianto almost lost his balance, flailing desperately to keep himself upright. His arm knocked the drainer and the saucers he'd just washed fell to the ground with a crash and shattered at Ianto's feet.
'Shit!'
He crouched on the ground, carefully picking up the larger shards of china. He could feel eyes boring into him and tried to ignore the prickle of heat that burned his skin through his shirt. Ianto tossed the pieces of broken saucer into a nearby bin and was reaching for a dust pan when the shift of air around him alerted him to the presence of another person.
Another person who smelled bloody amazing.
Ianto breathed in deeply, inhaling a scent that was warm and musky and what fucking fabulous sex should smell like and, even before he dared to look over his shoulder, he could feel arousal swirling lazily in his gut.
'Need some help?'
Ianto's gaze inched its way up the long, strong legs - trying not to linger for too long on the fabric stretched across the narrow hips - over the blue shirt covered chest then came to rest on the most ridiculously handsome face he'd ever seen. The man grinned as though he knew exactly what Ianto was thinking then winked.
'Never knew Andy had it in him,' he said, the grin turning into a leer as his eyes wandered along Ianto's spine until it reached his arse. The man's tongue flicked at his bottom lip, making that arousal in Ianto's stomach coil tighter. 'I'm assuming you are Ianto Jones?'
Ianto stood up so fast his head spun and he backed up, clutching at the counter behind him for support. 'Who are you?' he demanded, glancing behind the American to see Rhiannon's wide-eyed gaze fixed on the other man's arse. He narrowed his eyes, watching her as she realised what she was doing and shook herself out of her stupor.
'You... you shouldn't be back here,' she said weakly, but the other man ignored her.
'Captain Jack Harkness,' he said in answer to Ianto's question. He held out a hand and Ianto eyed it as if worried it would bite him. Finally, he pried his fingers off the counter and took it, giving it a quick shake before withdrawing his hand fast. Captain Harkness grinned. 'It's a pleasure to meet you, Ianto Jones.'
'You know Andy?' Ianto asked, flexing his hand.
Jack smiled, but this time, it failed to reach his eyes. 'Through a colleague,' he confirmed then he looked over his shoulder. Rhiannon was glancing from Ianto to Harkness, curiosity burning in her eyes. 'Is there somewhere we can go to talk privately?'
Ianto bit his lip as he weighed his options. 'Is Andy alright?' he asked and Harkness nodded.
Ianto sighed. Andy wouldn't send someone after him to rough him up or anything. He was pretty upset with Ianto, but he wasn't crazy. 'Come on then,' he finally said, quickly untying his apron and hanging it neatly on the hook near the sink. 'We can go to mine.'
He turned to Rhiannon who nodded that she'd be fine then asked over his shoulder, 'Want your coffee to go?'
Jack nodded and Rhiannon quickly made him a fresh cup. 'You want one too, Ianto?' she asked.
'Yeah, just give me whatever you made him,' Ianto mumbled, pulling on his coat. He handed Jack his takeaway cup, scowling when he caught the other man staring at his arse.
'Listen,' he said sharply. 'I don't know what you want, but when we get to my place, you've got ten minutes to tell me before I wipe that smug smile off your face. Alright?'
Without waiting for a response, Ianto snatched his cup off Rhiannon and stomped out the back door, not looking back to see if Harkness was following.
*
'Let me see if I understand,' Ianto said, staring at Jack dubiously. 'You work for a secret organisation that hunts aliens and you think that I might have been exposed to some kind of... mind control?'
'Well, when you put it like that, it sounds crazy.'
Ianto blinked. 'So, I misunderstood?'
'Not at all,' Jack said with a blinding grin. 'I'm just saying that it does sound mad when you say it like that.'
Jack chuckled as Ianto rolled his eyes. 'I must say that you are taking this rather well,' he said, pulling his hand-held scanner from his pocket with an unnecessary flourish. 'There's usually a lot more head shaking and swearing and threats to call the police.'
'I'm Welsh, sir. We don't do hysterics.'
'Admirable.'
Ianto bit his lip then asked tentatively, 'So it is real then? There really is more out there? Other worlds?'
Jack beamed and gave Ianto a nod as he compressed the red button on the side of the device. 'There sure is,' he said then he held out the scanner. 'Now, if I could just run this over that rather delightful looking body of yours, we can have this sorted and start getting to know each other better in just a few minutes.'
Ianto pushed himself to his feet, hands automatically moving to unbutton his jacket as he cautiously eyed the scanner. 'Can I ask exactly what makes you think I'm under some kind of alien influence?'
'PC Andy,' Jack murmured, slowly moving the scanner over every inch of Ianto's body. 'He seems to think that your behaviour at your interrupted nuptials was uncharacteristic.'
A choking sound made Jack glance up, and he frowned at the bewildered expression on Ianto's face. 'He thought... Oh, God.' Ianto sank back down into his seat, burying his face in his hands.
Jack lowered the scanner, his hand straying unconsciously to the butt of his holstered weapon. 'What is it?'
Ianto looked up, his face distressed. 'Andy really thinks I was... possessed, and that's why I called the civil partnership off?'
Jack raised an eyebrow in confirmation, and Ianto closed his eyes with a groan. 'I can't... I didn't realise I hurt him so badly.' He cracked open his eyes and peered up at Jack. 'I didn't deserve Andy. I loved him, but not the way he deserved, not the way I needed to in order to spend my life with him.'
'You just changed your mind then?' Jack asked, cocking his head. 'Just like that?'
Ianto sighed. 'Haven't you ever made a mistake?' he said wearily, dragging a hand through his thick hair and ruffling it endearingly. 'Thought you felt something that wasn't really there?'
Jack shrugged a shoulder in admission. 'Of course,' he confessed, slipping the scanner - result negative - back into his coat. He sat on the settee opposite Ianto and looked closely at the man. 'But you seem to have made more mistakes than most people.'
Ianto lost his tired countenance and sat up ramrod straight. 'Have you been checking up on me?' he snapped indignantly.
'I didn't come all the way out here based on one man's broken heart,' Jack said, tone steely. 'You've had an extraordinary number of relationships fall apart just metres from the altar. One or even two you could pass off as indecisiveness, but three? And I understand you're working on victim number four right now. The wedding's in a couple of weeks, right?'
'Lisa is not...' Ianto pressed his lips together and Jack saw a flare of fury in those remarkably blue eyes. When he continued, his voice was tightly controlled. 'I love Lisa. I made some mistakes in the past - my mistakes, not alien intervention,' he said scathingly, 'but I won't repeat them this time.'
'Because you love this one?' Jack said doubtfully.
'Get out!'
Jack smiled ruefully and rose more slowly than Ianto, who had shot to his feet and was pointing towards the front door. 'What makes this one special?' he asked as he slowly sauntered in the direction of the exit. 'What is it about her that's going to make you break what seems to be becoming a habit?'
'I love her!'
Jack paused by the door. He gave Ianto a thorough once over, his mouth crooking up at the corner when he saw how his attention discomforted Ianto. 'Like you loved the others?' he asked quietly, seeing exactly what he expected to see in Ianto's eyes.
A flicker of doubt.
There was no way Ianto Jones was going to be marrying his latest partner. And it was nothing to do with aliens or mind control. Ianto was doing this of his own accord and that tweaked Jack's interest more than an extra-terrestrial explanation.
Ianto flung the door open and stood stony-faced with his hands on his hips. 'I wish I could say it was nice to meet you, Captain Harkness,' he said, voice devoid of emotion. 'Have a safe trip back to Cardiff.'
Jack's burgeoning smile morphed into a grin. Gwen's suggestion to take a few days away from Torchwood and Cardiff suddenly didn't seem like such a bad idea.
'Oh, I'm not going right back to Cardiff,' Jack said breezily as he walked out onto the porch that wrapped around the house. 'I think a few days breathing in the fresh country air will do me the world of good.'
He smirked at Ianto who, without a moment's pause, slammed the door in Jack's face.
Jack chuckled, checking his scanner again and satisfying himself that there were absolutely no traces of Rift energy. He shoved it back into his pocket and bounced down the stairs, whistling as he went. He felt energized for the first time in a very long time. Ianto Jones intrigued him. He seemed so sensible and rational. What would possess him to make such bad decisions time after time? To allow things to go so far as a church and a tuxedo then run away?
Jack looked back over his shoulder at the house and saw a curtain quickly fall back into place. He grinned as he made his way back to the coffee shop to pry some answers out of Ianto's sister.
Aliens or not, this was going to be a very interesting few days.
*
Ianto spent the rest of the afternoon pounding and kicking his boxing bag, stopping only when his limbs were trembling from exertion. He collapsed, breathless, into a dining room chair, tugging at the laces of his boxing gloves with his teeth.
'Ianto!' called a chirpy voice and Ianto groaned at his fiancée's cheerfulness.
'You'll never guess what happened today,' he called out, finally getting the laces undone. He pulled the glove off then worked on the second one. 'This bloke came all the way from Cardiff because he thought I was being controlled by aliens or something. He ran a scanner over me and everything.'
He threw the gloves onto the table and made his way through to the living area. 'It's nutters like him that make me glad to be well away from the madness of the big cities.'
He smiled as he entered the room and his gaze fell on Lisa. She grinned back at him then, as she came forward to greet him, Ianto caught sight of another figure standing by the fireplace.
'Hi, love,' Lisa said, hugging Ianto quickly then pulling back. 'You've already met Jack, haven't you?'
Ianto's jaw dropped before he could stop it and he stammered,' Wha... What...?'
'I called in to see you at the coffee shop after work and you weren't there,' Lisa admonished lightly as she pulled Ianto towards the settee. 'But Jack was there and we got talking and he mentioned he'd met you earlier.'
Jack smiled beatifically at Ianto who experienced an increasingly familiar desire to smack those perfect teeth down his throat and nearly missed Lisa's next words. '... invited him to dinner.'
'What?'
Lisa blinked at his sharp tone. 'I invited him to dinner,' she repeated slowly.
Ianto clenched his jaw and glared at Jack who looked as though he knew exactly what murderous thoughts were rushing through Ianto's head.
'Ianto, are you alright?'
With enormous effort, Ianto plastered a smile on his face and turned to look at a concerned Lisa. 'I'm fine,' he said with false cheer. 'I was just surprised to see... Jack here. I thought he was heading back to Cardiff.'
'What can I say?' Harkness said with a careless shrug that made Ianto's blood boil. 'I've fallen in love with your quaint little town and its very interesting and... informative people.'
Ianto's fingernails bit into his palm as the urge to punch the other man grew in intensity. Ianto glared at him as Lisa asked, 'Coffee, Jack?'
Harkness nodded. 'Black and strong, thanks,' he said then grinned at Ianto. 'Just like Ianto takes his.'
Lisa laughed, a puzzled expression on her face. 'Ianto doesn't drink black coffee,' she said, hugging Ianto's arm briefly. 'He likes lattes, don't you, love? We both drink our coffee the same way.' She turned to smile at Jack. 'It's a sign. We were meant to be.'
Jack's smile became incredulous, but Lisa didn't seem to notice, excusing herself to make the drinks. Ianto's burning ire quickly rose to supernova levels as Harkness unashamedly studied one framed photograph after another and poked through Ianto's magazines and books.
'What the hell do you think you're playing at?' Ianto hissed as soon as the kitchen door swung shut behind Lisa. 'I made it perfectly clear earlier that I want nothing more to do with you.'
'Your sister and fiancée don't share your distaste for me. I had a lovely afternoon talking to them about you,' Harkness said cheerfully, snorting out a laugh at a photograph of young Ianto in nothing but his birthday suit. 'Do you still have a penchant for nudity? Don't feel you need to dress on my account...'
Ianto scowled and stormed across the room, snatching the photograph out of Harkness' hands and non-too-gently returning it to the mantle. 'Why are you doing this? You got what you wanted - I'm not possessed by little green men - so just leave me alone.'
Harkness turned so he was standing toe to toe with Ianto, the two men evenly matched for height. Ianto couldn't help but be aware of how much broader and muscular than himself Jack Harkness was, and was alarmed by the tiny shiver of awareness that dripped down his spine. With difficulty, he met the other man's unwavering gaze; the unexpected shimmer of sorrow and loneliness not entirely hidden by the sheen of mischievous interest Harkness was trying to project.
'I won't leave you alone because you baffle me,' Harkness said, his little smug smirk telling Ianto he was well aware of the close scrutiny. 'I'm a good judge of character usually - I know people - and you... you make no sense. It's been a long time since I couldn't work someone out in ten minutes flat.' He flashed Ianto a wide grin; Ianto studiously ignoring the coinciding flutter in his stomach. 'I want to know what makes you tick.'
He leaned in closer, Ianto halting his instinctive reaction to get as far away from this man as possible and standing his ground. He could feel Harkness' breath tickling his cheek and his mouth went dry.
'And you're pretty, Ianto Jones,' he whispered, Ianto jumping as Harkness' hand brushed against his thigh. 'I like pretty things.'
As Harkness' hand trailed closer to Ianto's crotch, Ianto surrendered to his baser instincts and punched Jack Harkness right on his chiseled jaw.
*
Ianto woke the next day still fuming about Harkness' presumptuousness and cranky because Lisa had blamed him for Jack's rapid departure. She'd spent the rest of the evening running through the positive affirmations and visualisation techniques she'd learned at work with him before she finally went home.
He put in an appearance at the coffee shop - not sure if he was happy or disappointed that there was no sign of Harkness - only for Rhiannon to send him home after a couple of hours, snapping that his face was turning the milk sour. Ianto scowled and stomped out the door with a couple of takeaway coffees, the walk down the block spent plotting inventive ways to kill the man that had watered those tiny seeds of doubt in his head then exposed them to light, leaving him as they started to flourish.
A bell jangled as Ianto pushed open the door of a shop at the end of the street, and a voice called out loudly.
'Ianto, that you? Hand me that little screwdriver, will you?'
Ianto looked over the counter, his best friend's flapping arm all he could see. His mood immediately lifted and he grinned, putting one of the coffees he held down. Finding the tool in the small tool box, he reached over the counter and placed it in her flailing hand.
'Thanks,' she mumbled, the hand disappearing under the desk. 'That is the last time I let Owen anywhere near my computers.'
'I can't believe you let him touch your babies again,' Ianto laughed, sipping on his cardboard cup of coffee as he watched a glossy black head emerge from under the desk. 'He managed to break a monitor and strip all your wires last time.'
'Love makes you do crazy things,' Toshiko Sato said as she peered up at him. She spotted his coffee and pouted playfully. 'Where's mine?'
Ianto handed her the second cup and her eyes closed in pleasure as she inhaled the mocha-scented steam. 'Oh, you are a genius, Ianto Jones. What flavour did you get?'
Ianto held out a hand to help her stand. 'Same as you. And yes, making cups of coffee takes a Mensa level IQ,' he said dryly then he sighed. 'Stick with what you're good at, though, right?'
Tosh frowned. 'I keep telling you, Ianto, unless you want to be making coffee when you're grey and distinguished, get out of this town. Go to Cardiff, enroll in university, do something you want to do with your life instead of...'
She bit her lip and Ianto flinched at the abrupt halt. '... instead of working for my sister and accepting marriage proposals from all the wrong people in order to try and make my life more meaningful?'
Tosh raised an eyebrow curiously. 'Are you including Lisa in that assessment?' she asked and Ianto quickly shook his head.
'Of course not,' he said, flushing. 'I... I love Lisa...'
'Not enough to propose to her,' Tosh reminded him.
'She got in first, is all.'
'Hmm.' Tosh looked sceptical but dropped the subject, instead adopting a nonchalant expression before asking, 'So, who's this Harkness bloke that's so interested in you?'
Ianto looked startled. 'You heard about him?'
Tosh snorted. 'This is Talgarth, Ianto,' she reminded him. 'Everyone knew about him five minutes after he drove that monster SUV into town.' She sipped at her coffee. 'Owen and I met him at the coffee shop yesterday. He was talking with Rhi and Lisa. About you.'
Ianto groaned, burying his face in his hands. 'Why is he doing this? I am getting married and I am happy. Why did he have to show up now?'
Tosh looked closely at Ianto. 'He's very handsome,' she said tentatively and raised an eyebrow when Ianto groaned again.
As Tosh opened her mouth to question Ianto about this reaction, the door opened to admit an unusually jovial Owen Harper followed by -
'What the hell are you still doing here?'
Jack grinned that insufferably wide smile at Ianto before sharing a knowing look with Owen. 'Close enough,' Owen said, rummaging in the pocket of his jeans then slapping a ten pound note in Jack's hand.
'I told him you'd say that,' Jack explained, 'but he seemed to think you were too polite.'
'Can't say no to anyone,' Owen said with a laugh, punching Ianto on the arm playfully. 'He's got three barely worn tuxedos in his closet to prove it.'
Ianto forced himself to smile at what he knew was meant to be teasing, but the words had an edge that cut deeply. He'd already been nervous enough about his upcoming nuptials, but had been tolerating the inevitable jibes and not-subtle betting from the residents of their small community. Now, though, each remark seemed to rub against something raw inside him and he was beginning to bleed doubt and uncertainty again.
I just need to spend some time with Lisa. We'll laugh about Harkness together then go back to planning the wedding and it'll be fine.
His eyes flicked to Harkness' face then he quickly looked away when he saw the man's knowing gaze upon him.
'I should go,' he said, standing so fast he startled Tosh. 'Work to do. See you later.'
Tosh called his name but he ignored her, breathing a heavy sigh when he reached the footpath.
'Something wrong?' a deep, amused voice asked and Ianto's jaw clenched as he spun around to glare at Harkness.
'What are you doing?'
Harkness smiled. 'Right now,' he said cheerfully. 'I'm thinking you could show me around town.'
'Why on earth would I want to do that?'
'Because,' Harkness said with a triumphant smirk, 'you wouldn't want me roaming around on my own, talking to people, asking them questions...'
Ianto tasted iron as blood filled his mouth, his tongue stinging where his teeth had punctured it. 'Fine,' he spat, spinning on his heel. 'You can come with me on one condition, Harkness. No nasty comments about Lisa or my previous relationships.'
Harkness laid a hand over his heart. 'I swear upon my honour...'
Ianto looked disbelieving and Harkness laughed, the sound dripping with a disturbing seductiveness down Ianto's spine. 'Fair enough. I promise. No nasty comments.'
Ianto was dubious, but sighed. 'Fine,' he said wearily as he took off at a brisk pace. 'You can come with me on my errands for the wedding. See how serious I am for yourself.'
Jack chuckled as he fell into step alongside Ianto. 'Will you call me Jack instead of Harkness?'
'Fine.'
'Do I get to see your wedding dress?'
'Shut up.'
*
'I like that one.'
Ianto glanced at the four tiered, outrageously flowery and frilly cake and make a face. 'Leave choosing the cake to your fiancée when you find someone willing to put up with you,' he advised, turning back to the shopkeeper, Betty, with a smile. 'I'll take these cake toppers, thanks.' He handed her the tiny formally dressed plastic couple then jumped when Jack pressed up against him, peering over his shoulder at the tiny figures.
They'd been to the caterer, the jeweler, and the florist so far and Ianto hated to admit it, but he was actually enjoying Jack's company. Once he stopped insulting Ianto and asking questions about his former relationships, Ianto realised that he was funny and interesting, although evasive when asked about himself. He told a still-awed Ianto a little about his job and the people he worked with, and, as the day progressed, inadvertently revealed more than he realised about himself.
'You're very comfortable with all these wedding preparations,' Ianto noted as he counted out the correct money for the cake and figurines. 'You told me you weren't married now, but you were once, weren't you?'
Jack blinked in surprise and Ianto smirked. 'I knew it. You're divorced and lecturing me about marriage...'
'I'm not divorced,' Jack said, stepping back. 'But I was married.'
'What happened?' Ianto asked then, when Jack hesitated, he shook his head. 'Don't tell me you left? You stand there and judge me...'
'I did leave,' Jack admitted. 'But it was a different time and the circumstances... I didn't want to go.'
'But you did,' Ianto said, grabbing the point and running with it. 'You left.'
'Yes,' said Jack, and Ianto's victorious expression faded at the sound of the sorrow in Jack's voice. 'Yes, I left and she died.'
Ianto's mouth snapped shut and he closed his eyes. 'I'm sorry,' he said regretfully.
Jack shook his head and reached out to stroke a finger over the dress of one of the plastic figurines. 'It was a long time ago,' he said softly then he smiled. 'I knew from the moment I met her that I would marry her, that I wanted to spend a lifetime with her, but circumstances... I couldn't stay and then it was too late, but I wanted to. I wanted to stay.'
He looked at Ianto. 'Which is why I don't understand why you do what you do. How can you love someone enough to propose, to want to spend your life with them, then willingly walk away?'
Ianto looked pained and opened his mouth, but before he could form an answer, Betty returned. 'I'll bring the cake to Rhiannon's after the ceremony.' She tittered. 'I'll leave it in the car rather than make a special trip beforehand. You're never at the altar long, are you, dear?'
She patted Ianto's hand and smiled condescendingly at him then turned to Jack. 'Wedding cake freezes,' she shared. 'This we know.'
She laughed again, and Jack watched as Ianto forced himself to chuckle along with the joke. 'Thanks, Betty,' he said weakly, pulling his hand out from under hers and backing towards the door. 'I'll see you later.'
Jack followed him out the door, almost running into him as Ianto stopped abruptly on the footpath. 'Listen, you seem to have all these wrong ideas about me,' Ianto said suddenly, turning to look at Jack, 'and I want to try and make you see that I'm not trying to hurt anyone.'
'I'm willing to listen,' Jack said.
Ianto nodded and distractedly ran a hand through his hair as he muttered to himself, 'If it's the only way to stop you thinking that I'm this horrid person...'
He bit his lip then blurted loudly, 'And I didn't propose to them.' He looked as startled as Jack by his outburst but continued. 'They... I've never proposed to anyone.'
Jack's brow creased. 'But you keep saying yes.'
Ianto bit his lip and looked away. 'Yes, I do,' he agreed before he spun around and walked quickly away, calling over his shoulder. 'It's too late to finish my errands today. Come with me. I want to show you something.'
Jack trailed after him, a heavy weight on his heart. Ianto Jones wanted to be loved so very badly, and he reminded Jack so much of his own longing for someone special that it made him ache - for Ianto and for himself.
*
'Wow!'
A slow smile broke across Jack' s face as he looked around Ianto's private conservatory. Several powerful telescopes were set up in the middle of the room, all pointed towards the bank of glass skylights set into the roof.
'They open,' Ianto said, noticing Jack peering through the glass at the early evening sky. He reached for a handle on the wall and cranked it, watching the glass slide to the side, the cool air wafting in and ruffling his hair.
Jack closed his eyes and tilted his face high as the breeze caressed his skin then he glanced around the room. 'This is more than just a hobby,' he said, taking in the thick tomes that filled the book shelves lining the walls; the numerous hand drawn charts of the night sky, of constellations and star systems; the computer screen almost covered in sticky notes with coordinates and dates scrawled on them. 'You really love this stuff, don't you?'
Ianto smiled and, for the first time since Jack had met him, the smile reached his eyes. 'I do,' he said, trailing a hand lightly along the length of a telescope in a way that made Jack want to feel those fingers on him. 'I always loved looking up at the stars and imagining the life that must be out there, the civilisations; wondering if they were looking at Earth and doing the same thing.'
Jack chuckled. 'That's why you didn't freak out when I told you what I do,' he said, nudging Ianto gently in the ribs with his elbow. 'I just confirmed your suspicions.'
With a laugh, Ianto sat down, checking the coordinates on a telescope then adjusting it minutely. 'I did freak out a little,' he admitted. 'But I was more excited than anything. I came out here for a little while after you left and read through my books, wishing you weren't such an arse so I could ask you more about the things you've seen and done.'
Jack snorted. 'I can't tell you much,' he said with genuine regret. 'I probably shouldn't let you remember what I have told you...'
'But you will...'
Jack smiled at a worried Ianto. 'Yeah,' he said, ignoring the little nagging voice in his head that sounded a lot like Gwen. 'Yeah, I will.'
Ianto grinned - the smile lighting him up - and Jack silently cursed the other man as his attraction to him rose from 'annoyingly insistent' to 'I want to tear his pants off now'.
Oh, this is really, really bad.
*
'You've really never proposed to any of them?'
Ianto shot a dark look at Jack who just raised his beer to his mouth and quirked an eyebrow questioningly. Ianto sighed. 'No, I haven't,' he said. 'I guess they got to that point before me.'
He laughed. 'I don't think I'd know what to say anyway. I mean, flowery declarations of love and everlasting happiness aren't really my style and... well, they're bullshit, aren't they? I mean, the idea the everything is perfect just because you have a ring on your finger and change your surname by deed poll...'
'Considering how many weddings you've planned, you're not much of a romantic, are you?' Jack said, laughing when Ianto punched him in the arm.
'I guess I'm not,' Ianto sighed, downing the last of his ale and letting the bottle fall from his fingers to the floor of his shed with a clink. He leaned forward and put his eye to the nearest telescope.
He and Jack had been holed up looking at star charts and adjusting coordinates all afternoon and now it was dark outside. The stars shone bright in the clear sky above them while beer bottles and pizza boxes littered the floor at their feet. Jack had hinted that there might be some kind of heavenly event tonight, and they'd fallen into a surprisingly easy truce long enough to eat and get slightly wasted while they waited.
'I think you should be honest when you propose,' Jack said suddenly. 'Honest, but romantic.'
Ianto snorted inelegantly. 'Is that possible?' he asked.
Jack smiled and scooted his chair closer, wincing as it grated along the ground. 'Okay,' he said, settling back into his chair and staring at Ianto. 'If I was to get a proposal, I think that I'd want something real. Something that told me that you cared, but that you also knew this wasn't going to be a fairy tale.'
Ianto shifted in his chair, suddenly less at ease with Jack so close and looking at him so intently. 'Like...' he prompted, feeling a little ridiculous that he wanted to hear Jack's idea of a perfect proposal.
'Like...' Jack said then he paused, teeth gnawing at that beautifully curved bottom lip as he thought. Ianto licked his lips as the urge to bite at that lip washed over him with a force that made him shudder with the effort of holding back.
'Okay,' said Jack eventually. 'I'd say, "Look, I guarantee there'll be tough times. I guarantee, at some point, one or both of us is going to want to get out of this thing. But I also guarantee that if I don't ask you to be mine, I'll regret it the rest of my life. Because I know in my heart... you're the only one for me."'
Ianto stared at Jack, whose face was suddenly open and raw, and experienced an overwhelming desire to fall into his arms like a heroine in a romance novel. He frowned as he searched for something to say that would stop him humiliating himself.
'Is that what you said to your wife?'
Jack blinked and his face closed up. 'No,' he said, turning away from Ianto. 'I... I think I said something flowery and dishonest.'
There was a long moment of silence then Ianto said softly, 'I am sorry.'
Jack glanced at him. 'What for?'
'About your wife. I'm sorry you had to leave someone you loved. I'm sorry she died. You...' Ianto took a deep breath. 'There is a possibility that you are not a complete bastard, and I'm sorry things didn't work out for you.'
Jack huffed out a laugh. 'Yeah, so am I.' He looked at Ianto. 'Although I am a complete bastard.'
Ianto chuckled and looked up at the sky. 'Oh!' he cried, seeing light streak across the sky. 'Jack!'
They fumbled for their telescopes, watching the shooting stars through the lenses until it became clear the show was over. Ianto sat back and stared at Jack.
'How did you know?'
Jack reached for the last slice of cold pizza and smiled. 'I got a message from my co-workers today that a fleet of Madorian leisure ships were wanting to take a short cut through our atmosphere tonight on their way to one of the pleasure planets.'
Ianto's mouth fell open. 'P... Pleasure planets? Ships...? That... that was a space ship?'
Jack grinned and scooped up his almost-forgotten beer bottle, giving it a little shake and listening to the leftover liquid slosh around. 'Several space ships, actually,' he said before swallowing down the last few mouthfuls. He grimaced as the warm liquor hit his palate then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. 'Madorian. They can hold up to a thousand passengers.'
'Aliens,' Ianto whispered, eyes rounding as he stared at Jack before turning to gaze up at the sky. 'God, Jack. Your life...'
Jack watched Ianto's glowing face and smiled softly. 'It's not as exciting as it seems,' he said quietly. 'It's a lot of responsibility. It's not all light shows and wonder. Some of it is... '
He closed his eyes as flashes of his time with the Master, his face-off with the Daleks on Satellite Five assaulted his mind. He shuddered then snapped open his eyes when he felt a hand cover his.
'You've seen terrible things?' Ianto whispered.
Jack inhaled deeply and tightened his hand around Ianto's. 'Yeah,' he whispered then he plastered a smile on his face. 'But I've seen the good stuff too. The pleasure planets... Oh, Ianto. I wish you could see it. You would love it. The decadence, the hedonism...'
'Jack.'
He heard the tempered warning in Ianto's tone and sighed. 'It was pretty bad,' he admitted. 'But I can't tell you about it.'
Ianto stared at him for a moment then nodded. 'Well,' he said, sitting back in his seat and staring up at the sky that would never look the same again to him. 'It's good to know you're out there protecting us from all the nasty stuff, although I do like the sound of these Pleasure Planets.'
Jack smiled and raised his eyes to the velvety sky as well. He wasn't sure Ianto realised he was still holding his hand but, when Ianto gave it another quick squeeze, Jack's breath caught in his throat. He groaned as he realised that he'd just lost a little of his heart to Ianto Jones.
Part Two