Ianto's Surprise
Ianto snuck into the tourist office, hoping Jack was watching on the CCTV camera. He had a bag under his right arm, as he relocked the door and moved around the counter to the secret door leading down to the Torchwood Hub. Moving through the cog door, Ianto looked up at Jack's office as he approached the small kitchen area. The light was off in the office, which meant Jack was either still in his bunker or out. Placing the bag in the cupboard next to the fridge, Ianto sighed, then he smiled to himself and started the first coffee of the day.
Jack was still in his bunker, when he smelt the freshly made coffee drift up into his office. Climbing the ladder, he made his way to the door. Looking down, he saw Ianto pouring the amber nectar into his favourite blue and white mug.
"Morning, Ianto. Is it nice out?"
Ianto smiled up at the Captain. "Yes, sir, it's quite a nice morning."
Jack came down the stairs and stood just inside the kitchen, leaning on the door jam, arms folded across his chest.
"So did you get it?"
Ianto handed Jack his cup of coffee, then nodded. "Of course, sir. What did you expect? But I'm not telling you what it is." Ianto replied, with a twinkle in his eye.
Jack arched his eyebrows. "Whada ya mean, you're not gonna tell me?"
"Well, sir, if I told you I'd have to kill you."
Jack dropped his arms and stood up straight. "That's rather James Bond of you, Ianto. I just love surprises."
Pouring himself a cup of coffee, Ianto lifted his cup and toasted Jack. "You'll just have to wait and see, sir."
Jack frowned. "You're a devious little bastard, aren't you."
"Needs must, sir," he replied, taking a sip of his coffee.
"So, when are we going to spring the surprise on Owen?"
Ianto offered up a wicked grin. "Well, I need time to set it all up in the boardroom for later today. So you'll have to give me some time to get things organised."
"Take a few hours, Ianto."
Ianto smiled. "Thank you, sir."
Jack took his mug and wandered back up to his office. There was a considerable pile of paperwork that needed his immediate attention. Jack sat at his desk wondering what Ianto was up to. There had been a distinctly mischievous glint in the Welshman's eyes, that did not bode well for Owen. Jack smiled to himself. 'You gotta love the way that man's mind works' he thought, thinking about Ianto.
Ianto took the bag from the cupboard and went to the boardroom. He still had an hour or so before Tosh was due in and another two before Owen made an appearance. Placing the bag on the table, Ianto went back and locked the door. Making sure the blinds were drawn, He smiled to himself. Opening the bag, Ianto took out two small bags of balloons, placing them on the table. Next he took out a small ball of string, placing that, too, next to the packets. Pulling out a chair, the young Welshman sat down and tore open the two bags. Taking the first balloon, be began to blow into it.
Twenty minutes later, and twenty four balloons, Ianto stood up and attached string to the ends of each balloon and put them around the boardroom, making sure he tied one to the chair Owen usually sat in. Standing by the door, Ianto looked the room over and nodded his approval.
Walking to the door, Ianto unlocked it and went outside. Just as he locked it and pocketed the key, Jack appeared from around the corner.
"Finished?" he asked.
Ianto nodded, the glint still in his eyes.
"Gonna let me take a look?"
"No, sir, I am not."
Jack pouted.
"That, will not change my mind, sir."
"You, are a hard man, Ianto Jones."
Ianto just smiled. "Coffee, sir?" he asked, walking away.
Jack caught his arm as he walked passed, swinging him around. "You are such a tease…I love it!"
Ianto bowed his head slightly. "Thank you, sir." Then he pulled free and walked away.
"You really aren't going to let me see in there, are you?"
"That's right, sir. I'm not," Ianto called over his shoulder, as he grinned like a Cheshire cat.
Jack turned and looked at Ianto as he walked away, shaking his head in amusement. "I'll go get my key, shall I?"
"I have that one, too." Ianto's voice echoed in the corridor.
"Ianto!"
Ianto began to laugh. "Gotcha!"
TWTWTWTW
Gwen And Tosh arrived just after 8.30am, but Owen was pushing his luck and still wasn't it a 9.06am.
Standing on the walkway just outside his office, Jack stood looking down into the Hub. "Any word from Owen?" he asked.
Ianto popped his head out to the kitchen, looking up. "No, sir, nothing."
"Call him, Ianto."
Ianto nodded and walking over to Gwen's workstation, dialled Owen's mobile.
"What?"
"Are you on your way in, Owen?"
"Did Jack put you up to this, Tea Boy?" He emphasised the last two words.
"His request, yes."
"Request my arse! I'll be there in twenty minutes, alright?"
"I'll let Jack know."
"You do that." Owen turned his phone off.
Looking up at Jack, Ianto half smiled. "He'll be here in twenty minutes."
Jack shook his head, walking back into his office. He called back. "Thanks."
About 35 minutes later, Owen walked through the cog door. Jack came out of his office and was about to speak when Owen pointed a thin finger at him.
"Don't you bloody start, Harkness! My day is not going very well, and I don't need you adding to my grief!"
"Happy Birthday, Owen," was all Jack said, before going back into his office.
"Coffee?" Ianto asked the medic.
"Do sea gulls shit everywhere?"
"Oh, who got out the wrong side of the bed this morning, then?" Asked Gwen, with a toothy grin.
"Shut it, Cooper!"
Ianto placed a steaming cup of coffee down in front of Owen. "Happy Birthday."
"Sod off, Tea Boy!"
Ianto grinned and walked towards the stairs leading down to the boardroom. "Meeting in the boardroom in 15 minutes." He called back.
"Great! That's all I need! Sittin' in the boardroom, listening to Harkness go on about something boring for half an hour!"
Tosh smiled. "Come on, Owen. It can't be that bad."
Picking up his cup, Owen walked over to Tosh's workstation. "My phone has been cut off. My car has a puncture and I had to come into work on my birthday. How can it get any worse? I'll tell ya…a bloody meeting in the boardroom!"
Jack walked down the stairs and passed Owen. "It might be very interesting."
"I doubt that very much, Jack."
Jack just smiled and walked towards the stairs.
TWTWTWTW
Reaching the boardroom, Jack turned the handle. It was locked.
"Are you gonna let me in, or do I have to break it down!"
Ianto unlocked the door, but barred Jack's way. "Password?"
Jack leaned in for a long kiss. "Will that do?"
"That will do very nicely, thank you, sir."
Stepping aside, Ianto watched the look on Jack's face. "Wow! Owen is gonna love all this." Jack walked around the table to stand by Owen's chair. He laughed. "An empty popcorn bag?"
"With a voucher inside."
"Mmm. A cinema ticket?"
"To see Tin Tin tonight."
Jack grinned at Ianto. "I thought he hated Tin Tin!"
"He does, that's why it's so perfect."
"He's gonna kill you!"
"No, see, I think secretly, Owen likes Tin Tin. He just won't admit it."
"Really."
"Yep."
Putting his hand in his inside pocket, Ianto produced two more tickets. "And I have tickets for us, too."
"Tin Tin?"
"No, perish the thought, sir. Aliens and Cowboys." Ianto grinned.
"Perfect, Jones. Ianto Jones."
Ianto checked his watch. "They should be here soon."
As if on queue, Tosh and Gwen entered the boardroom. Ianto put a finger to his lips.
Owen walked in a few minutes later, still cursing. As he looked up, they all chanted 'Happy Birthday'.
Owen searched the room, cringing at the sight of all the balloons. His eyes then rested on Ianto. "Your doing?"
Ianto nodded.
Moving to his chair, Owen looked into the popcorn bag. "Bloody Tin Tin!" A smile slowly spread across his face. "Thanks, Ianto."
"My pleasure."
And it was.
Moving over to the cupboard below the drinks, Ianto got out a square box, placing it on the table beside the bag. Then he got a knife, offering it to Owen.
"Not to be used on me," he added.
Opening the box, Owen looked down at the round cake inside. It was white with a Super Mario logo on it." Owen beamed, cutting into it.
After cake and coffee, which Ianto made on the new coffee machine in the boardroom, the team went back up into the Hub.
As they reached the top of the stairs, Jack took hold of Ianto's hand, halting him.
"I was thinking…maybe we could have an early dinner, before the movie, then back to yours for a late dessert."
Ianto smiled. "Sounds perfect…Jack."
And it was.
Jack smiled, letting Ianto leave.
Once back in the Hub, Ianto tidied up and headed down to the archives. There was plenty to do down there, as well.
Although the Rift had been quiet, alien beings aside, it still spewed out the occasional weird item or two. It was down to Ianto now, to number, catalogue and file said artefacts. Those deemed too dangerous by Jack, were locked away in a cupboard in the Captain's office, never to be seen again.
By 12.21pm, Ianto was feeling peckish, so, making his way up to the kitchen, he looked in the fridge. It held nothing of interest to him.
A stale roll. Gwen's from day before yesterday. A half eaten salad bowl. Tosh's. Soggy Jaffa cakes. Owen's and a custard tart with a bite out of it! Curious, who did that belong to?
Ianto felt, more than heard, someone behind him.
"The tart is, well, was mine," said Jack.
"Was, sir?"
"Mmm. I forgot about it."
Ianto frowned. "Poor, neglected tart."
"The bite I did have, was delicious," he replied, leaning in to smell the Welshman's hair. "Apples," he whispered.
"The tart, sir?" Ianto teased.
"Your hair."
Ianto turned his head so he was looking into dark, lust filled eyes. "Maybe we can have tart for dessert tonight."
"Promise."
"I'll get it on the way home."
"If you two have finished eye-fucking each other, we need lunch ordering," said Owen, with just a trace of a smile on his face.
'Eye-fucking?' mouthed Ianto.
Jack grinned. "Prefer the real thing myself."
"Yuk!" said Owen. "No and bucket comes to mind."
Ianto laughed. "Don't knock it til you've tried it."
"This from the converted, eh?"
"Yep."
"Whatever. I'd like a couple of sandwiches, seeing as I have popcorn tonight."
Ianto grabbed a pad off the counter and started to write it down. "Ladies?" he asked.
"Ham and cheese toastie," said Gwen.
"Three cheese toastie, please Ianto," said Tosh.
Ianto turned to Jack. "Sir?"
"I'm in the mood for something a little sweeter."
Owen and Ianto rolled their eyes.
"Apple Danish."
Writing it all down, Ianto took the Torchwood card with him and left for Starbucks. Twenty minutes later, they were all sat around in the boardroom, eating lunch.
"Can I ask you a question, Ianto?" said Owen.
Ianto smiled. "Go on then."
"Was Jack your first male lover?"
Jack looked on with interest.
Ianto blushed, but answered. "Yep," then added, "and my last."
Jack beamed.
"Eat your lunch, Harkness!"
The girls laughed.
After lunch, it was work as usual, but by 4pm, Jack had sent everyone, but Ianto, home.
Owen even admitted before he left, that he was looking forward to the movie tonight.
Jack knew he was. Especially with Ianto's promise of 'dessert' after.
TWTWTWTW
Owen got home, showered and made his way to The Red Dragon Centre. He ate at the Chinese Buffet and then went to see the movie. He didn't notice Jack and Ianto just entering Bella Italia next door.
"There goes Owen," said Ianto, pocking Jack.
Jack smiled. "Think he'll enjoy it?"
"Yes, I think he will."
"Shall we?"
Ianto walked ahead of Jack, into the restaurant. The waiter escorted them to a table off to the left. It was darker and quite romantic, Jack thought.
Ianto looked at his watch. "6.45pm. No hurry then."
"And no dessert," added Jack.
FIN