Title: Fate

Author: LovelyxIrony

Rating: M

Summary: Ianto Jones didn't have time for love, until Jack Harkness suddenly forced himself into his life. AU, but still has Torchwood Three in it. Janto fic.

Chapter One

The words in front of Ianto Jones's eyes started to blur slightly.

He lifted up a hand and ground his fist into one blue eye with a grumble, putting it back down on his desk and blinking rapidly in an effort to clear his vision. Letting out a slightly exasperated breath and brushing his hair back, the Welshman allowed his eyes to shift toward the stack of papers that lay at the front of his desk. To his dismay, the twenty or so papers that he'd gone through in the past couple of hours didn't seem to have lessened the pile at all.

Giving it up as a bad job and standing to his feet, Ianto reached toward his briefcase that lay against his chair and hefted it up just as his office door opened. On the other side stood his best friend, Toshiko Sato (although she much preferred Tosh), and she gave him a quick smile. "Heading home, then?" She pushed her small red glasses up her nose as she spoke, cocking her head to the side and moving further into the office.

"Planned on it, yeah. My brain is starting to numb from all of this paperwork."

Tosh gave a laugh, shaking her head and crossing her arms. "I thought you were coming to the pub to see Gwen and Owen." There was a slight change in her voice at each name, although it was only detectable to someone who knew the woman well enough. Ianto thought he knew why - though Gwen was on her way to be married to a long term boyfriend, she'd been having at it with Owen on the side. And it was quite obvious to everyone (except the man himself), that Tosh was head-over-heels in love with Owen.

"I hate to say this, but I'd completely forgotten about that." It hadn't been entirely on purpose either - the only reason Gwen had wanted them all to get together at the pub was so that she could gossip on about her and Owen's new jobs, which was about the only thing the Welshwoman did well, not that Ianto would ever say so. "Are you still going?"

There was silence as the dark haired woman clasped her hands together and stared down at her feet, worrying on her lower lip. "I was thinking of going, but if you're not, I'd rather go home myself. I don't need to listen to more of their flirting."

With a dry chuckle that lacked any real humor, the Welshman nodded his head in understanding and then moved forward, offering Tosh his arm with a smile. "Well, as I really don't have any reason to be home right at this moment, I suppose we can suffer together." And this was only because the new jobs the two had snatched up did intrigue him to an extent - in passing, Owen had mentioned it being something like special ops.

He only had to wait a second or two before Tosh grasped his arm with a thankful expression and a light, amused smile. "That sounds like a plan."

The pub they'd agreed to meet in was one they'd all regularly attended and preferred. It wasn't very well known, which meant they could all sit together in peace and not have to shout over an unnecessary amount of noise, but it was busy enough that it kept open and no one would be able to pry into the conversation they were having. The pub - Barry's - was a few blocks away from the law office that Ianto worked at, so he and Tosh reached it a few minutes before Gwen and Owen, finding a suitable space at the bar and ordering drinks.

Reclining back with a slightly content sigh and lifting up his beer, Ianto glanced sideways at Tosh. She was taking occasionally sips from her own drink, gaze fixed on the door leading into Barry's. There was a small frown on her lips, although it was replaced a second later by a barely visible smile as the door opened and revealed first Owen Harper and then Gwen Cooper, both with hunched shoulders in an effort to evade the cold of the rain that had been coming down since fairly early that morning. With a small wave after spotting them, Gwen hurried forward and purchased a drink for both her and the irritable looking doctor, who slunk forward more slowly with a sulky expression on his face. Although Ianto was always of the opinion that the expression was just a typical one for Owen. "'Ello, you two." Gwen sounded breathless, and Ianto was fairly sure why - she looked as if she'd gotten a proper snog, and judging from the rapid fall of Tosh's happy expression, she'd noticed it as well.

Ianto simply nodded and drank a bit more of the beer, fighting back the urge to say something cruel to Gwen. He wasn't sure if she was just completely thick or honestly didn't care, but the Welshman couldn't understand how Gwen could do this to Tosh. She looked a little put off by the lack of the response, but turned to the bartender with a grateful smile when he brought the drinks.

"Are you alright, Owen?" Tosh's voice was quiet, and she kept throwing glances at Owen with a small frown, obviously made a little nervous by his annoyed expression. "How did work go?"

That only seemed to cloud Owen's expression more and he glared at his glass as if it had done him a horrible, personal wrong. "Work," he started slowly, glaring, "is fine. It's the boss that I can't stand."

Gwen raised an eyebrow, turning to face Tosh and Owen. "I don't think he was that horrible, Owen."

"Yeah. Only because you bloody fancy him." Owen rolled his eyes and slumped back against the seat as Ianto resisted the urge to snort into his beer. "The man's an absolute bloody nightmare. And I wouldn't get my hopes up about getting into the sack with him, Cooper - pretty sure he's gay. I mean, honestly, what kind of straight guy wears period military?"

"I think it suited him."

Sensing a fight and not in the mood to deal with one at the moment, Ianto settled down his glass and turned more in his seat to see the other three. "What's your boss like, Gwen?" He ignored Owen as the man opened his mouth, knowing he'd just get an ill tempered response from him. Not that Gwen was much better, seeing as she seemed to be infatuated with her new boss.

There was silence for a moment or two as Gwen took a quick sip of her beer and then shrugged, biting her lower lip. "He's American - very handsome." She grinned while Owen rolled his eyes with a sigh. "He's not the brute Owen seems to determined to make him. He's just very serious about the job, I think." The grin was back, more amused now. "And he flirts with absolutely everyone. The girl who works with him before we came along - Suzie Costello, she's wonderful as well - said to just ignore him, he doesn't really mean anything by it."

Ianto smirked. "Is that why you don't like him, Owen? Did he hit on you?"

The other man gave him an irritated glance as Tosh let out an involuntary laugh. "Yes. And that's not why I don't like him. I just think he's a right tosser, that's all."

"I would think you'd get along perfectly fine, then." Tosh laughed again as Ianto quickly downed the beer after glancing at the silver watch around his wrist, standing quickly and reaching for his coat. "I'd better be off - I've got an early morning tomorrow, and I have the feeling if I stay much longer, I won't get up on time."

"Aw, Ianto, you should sta -"

Gwen interrupted Tosh, her eyes wide and her mouth dropped open slightly. "I don't believe it." She grinned, looking at Ianto and Tosh as Owen turned in his seat and then gave another exasperated huff. The other two gave the Welshwoman a confused look, one of Ianto's eyebrows raised. "He's here! Our boss -"

An American voice sounded behind Ianto, who felt a thrill go through him. "Hello, Gwen. Owen. And…hello." There was a smirk detectable in the voice now and Ianto turned, finding himself facing an extremely handsome man, with blue eyes and a wide, attractive grin. He extended his hand toward Ianto, the grin widening. "Captain Jack Harkness. Who are you?"

R&R please and thank you!