Pairing: Ianto Jones/Jack Harkness
Genre: Humour/Fluff
Summary: "I suspect he's upset because we're not making proper Easter eggs."
"-that said, I have decided we should do a bonding exercise."
Everyone stared at Jack, unimpressed.
"O-kay," Owen finally said. "What would this exercise consist of? Because if it's the kind of bonding you and Ianto get up to, I'm not in."
"Your loss, "Jack grinned. "Now follow me."
-'-'-
"This is quite fun," Tosh said, lowering her brush to inspect her work.
"Speak for yourself," Owen sulked, scowling.
"What are you painting?" Tosh asked, peering at the egg in his hands.
"Mind your own business." He threw it in the bin next to the other five failed ones. Tosh finished her second egg, tiny equations covering it. Gwen had begun by turning her first egg into a classical alien head, green with large black eyes, and was currently working on something looking suspiciously like an weevil. Jack had made tiny stick-men, one on each off his three finished eggs, the fourth one still work in progress, claiming he was painting the crew. They took his word for it.
As far as bonding exercises went, this was a good one. Painting eggs encouraged small talk and was strangely therapeutic; Tosh liked to focus on something simple, Owen took out his aggressions on the eggs and so on. Everyone was enjoying themselves, except...
"You're very quiet, Ianto," Jack remarked, glancing at him. Ianto made a non-committal noise, adding the finishing touches to his third egg. He'd painted the entire egg green before adding little yellow chickens here and there. The first egg he'd finished had been blue with orange and green dots, the words 'Happy Easter' written on one side. The second egg was purple with a white bunny and a basket of eggs.
"Ianto?" Gwen asked, looking questioningly at Jack when Ianto ignored her.
"Something wrong?" Tosh asked worriedly. Ianto finished his egg, gently placing it in one of the many eggcups scattered on the table.
"I'm done. May I leave, sir?" he asked without raising his eyes.
"Oh no, not until you tell us what's going on," Jack told him, leaning back on his chair. Ianto glanced at their eggs, making a disapproving face.
"They're Easter eggs," he finally said.
Jack shrugged. "Yes, and?"
"You wouldn't understand," Ianto mumbled, getting up abruptly. "Excuse me," he said, leaving the room.
"What was that all about?" Gwen asked, staring after him.
"I'm not sure," Jack said, eyes narrowing in thought.
"This is just a guess," Tosh said, hesitating for a second. "I suspect he's upset because we're not making proper Easter eggs."
They all took a moment to let that sink in.
"That shouldn't surprise me," Jack said finally, chuckling. "It's a-"
"They're called Easter eggs," Ianto said, suddenly striding back into the room. "Not, not equation eggs, or alien eggs or god forbid, Torchwood eggs. Easter eggs." His cheeks were flushed as he worked himself up. "Can't anything be sacred?" he blustered. "What's next? The abominable snowman decorations instead of Santa? Weevils instead of pilgrims?" Ianto was breathing harshly, chest heaving. They'd never seen him so upset. "I'm going home," he finished his rant, picking up his three eggs, turning on his heel and swept out.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
The four of them stared at each other. Gwen suddenly started giggling.
"Abominable snowman decorations," she got out, eyes tearing up from laughter. The rest of them really tried to keep a straight face, but failed miserably.
"Weevil pilgrims," Tosh wheezed, clutching her stomach. Jack shook his head, smiling fondly.
"I'll talk to him," he said, getting up. "Carry on," he ordered, gesturing towards the dozens upon dozens unpainted eggs on the table.
"You're not serious," Owen moaned, banging his forehead against the tabletop.
-'-'-
"Hey." Jack grabbed Ianto's arm.
"Sir?" Ianto put his keys back in his pocket, having been about to unlock his car. Jack kissed him. Ianto made a surprised noise, then relaxed against him, sighing contently as Jack stepped back. "What was that for?" he asked, a bit breathless.
"Nothing." Jack brushed off invisible dust from Ianto's lapel, eyes glinting mischievously. "Got something for you." He searched through his pockets, withdrawing a smallish cardboard egg, a picture of a rooster and some chickens on it. Ianto's eyes widened for a second.
"I didn't get you one," he complained instantly.
"Open it," Jack insisted, ignoring the comment. Ianto quickly did as instructed, a small smile playing on his lips as he saw its contents.
"Thank you," he said, suddenly not sure what to do with himself. He wanted to throw himself around Jack's neck, but that felt a bit undignified. He made a move towards him, stopping himself halfway, feeling silly. Jack took the step for him, enveloping him in a hug, Ianto quickly hugging him back.
"Now come back in, paint some more eggs, or throw some on Owen," Jack coaxed, breath ghosting against his ear. Ianto's eyes flickered from the contents of the egg still in his hand, back to Jack's face.
"I... I suppose I could do one more."
-'-'-
That night before going to bed, Ianto took one piece of chocolate from the egg Jack had given him. He'd mentioned once how much he loved a certain praline, dark chocolate filled with caramel. But that was almost a year ago, and he'd only mentioned it in passing. He laid down on his back, letting the dark chocolate melt slowly on his tongue.
"You gonna share?" Jack asked from somewhere to his left.
"Nope." Ianto shook his head, smiling.