I do not own Torchwood or any of these characters (damn) or the songs used (see previous profanity).
First story so please R&R! Thank you!
Piano man
It was dark in the Hub. Well, darker than usual, anyway, Ianto thought. A cheerful whistling rang out from the autopsy room, where Owen was happily dissecting the poor guy who had fallen victim to the latest Weevil attack. Unless Ianto's ears were deceiving him, it was 'I Could Have Danced All Night'. Well, God knows, he has the stamina. No, don't think about that. Ianto cringed from the memory. Suddenly, scaring him, Jack ran from his office and burst into song.
'I could have danced all night,
I could have danced all night,
And still have begged for more!'
At 'begged for more' , Jack looked at Ianto and winked. The latter blushed, cleared his throat, and bent his head, continuing with the paper he was clearing from Tosh's desk.
'I could have spread my wings,
And done a thousand things,
I've never done before...'
Jack laughed, and ran over to Ianto, tripping on the flooring, and erupted into giggles. He bounded up to desk, grinning wildly from ear to ear, a manic gleam in his eye.
"Jack," Ianto said, disapprovingly, "just how much of that high energy drink have you had?"
"Ummm... a bit?" Jack was obviously lying, but he grinned that grin he knew Ianto couldn't resist. It worked. Ianto laughed softly, shook his head, and went back to cleaning.
"So, Ianto, Ianto Jones. Whatcha doing?" He slipped his arms around Ianto's waist from behind, and laid his chin on Ianto's shoulder.
"Cleaning all of this mess on Tosh's desk, as you can perfectly well see. And all this mess is your fault anyway, asking her to make an analysis and a report on that 'Sterian slime', when you knew perfectly well it was green hair gel," said Ianto, and pulled away.
Jack pouted.
Ianto sighed. "Why are you making that face?"
"You like that face. I know you like that face. You like many of the faces I pull. In fact, tonight-"
"You can stop right there, Captain, I do not need to hear about your sordid love life with Tea-Boy here." Owen had surfaced from the autopsy room, and was struggling to remove his rubber gloves. "Also, I have decided that this is an innuendo free zone. Ha! Try that. Oh, for God's sake, these gloves! They drive me barmy!"
"And there I was, thinking Owen was good with rubber. And a professional." Jack was grinning manically again, and seemed not to notice the glare Owen was bestowing upon him.
"No innuendo, got it? As if I wasn't tense enough, what with my 'date' with Tosh, and all." With one last yank, the last rubber glove snapped off Owen's hand, and flew across the Hub, landing on top of Ianto's head.
Both Jack and Owen stared at him briefly, all serious, and then burst into varying degrees of humour. Owen was laughing, but Jack was doubled over, his shoulders shaking with the hysterics that were gurgling form his throat.
"Owww! Laughing... Hurts... Owww!
Iantopulled the glove from his head, and threw it into the bin that was beside him, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Owen, however, was staring at Jack, who was over the worst of the hysterics, but was in fits of girlish giggles.
"Has he been playing with the cleaning chemicals again, Ianto?"
Ianto shook his head. "Nope. He's had... God knows how much energy drink. He reacts in... different ways to most of us. We just get a little extra kick from the glucose, but Jack... he goes... a tad... loopy."
"Loopy? Is that the technical term?" Owen smirked.
"Yes. I've seen him have more than this before now. I had to lock him in the Cells over night once, because he was wrecking everything in the Hub. Unintentionally, of course, but messy all the same."
"And Lord knows, we can't have a messy Hub, can we?" Owen was smirking again, and was pulling off his white lab coat. Ianto secretly thought that Owen enjoyed wearing the coat, made him feel professional, and proud of his job. Not that he'd ever admit to it.
"Well, I'm off. On my... 'date'. Wish me luck." Owen suddenly turned apprehensive, and twitchy, and both Ianto and Jack grinned.
Owen pulled on his coat, slower that necessary, and began to slowly trudge out of the Hub.
"Owen?" Ianto called.
Owens head snapped around. "Yeah?"
"Why- why are you going on the date if you're so against it?"
"I'm... not against it, as such, but I really don't want to balls it up, y'know? Tosh is the only one in the Hub I haven't slept with, and I kinda want to keep it that way. But, anyway, what happens happens, I suppose." With a half-hearted shrug, he turned back around, and left.
Jack's face was confused, first serious, then mock, when he turned to face to Ianto. Ianto gave him a despairing look, raising one eyebrow, which made Jack burst into giggles again.
Suddenly, an alarm sounded. "Rift Activity," sighed Ianto. "Great. Just what I need. A trip in the SUV with you in this state." As if to prove his point, Jack let out a high pitched giggle.
Ianto grabbed the keys, his jacket and gun holster, and began to run towards the exit. But he stopped, and turned around. Jack was still standing there, a comically bemused look on his face.
"Come ON, Jack!" Ianto shouted.
Jack shook his head, as if to clear it, and walked quickly. Ianto was through the cog door, and hit the close switch. "Hurry up, before it closes!"
But Jack wasn't going to make it. "Hold on, I'll re-open it!" Jack, however, didn't stop, and a there was a loud boom, followed by a high, girlish giggle.
***
"All that fuss and it was only a new Weevil coming through. Tookall of five minutes to get is sorted." Ianto looked sideways at Jack. "No thanks to you."
If Ianto hadn't been stressed, the whole incident would have been hilarious. Jack had spotted the Weevil first, opened his door, and leapt out, forgetting that the SUV was still travelling at 50 miles an hour. Plus, when he leapt out, he collided with a lamp-post.
Iantohad pulled up and ran after the Weevil, but Jack had somehow got in front of him. Jack had jumped onto the beasts back and put his hand over its eyes. The Weevil, infuriated, had grabbed hold of Jack and threw him into the massive pond at the side of the road.
Ianto had simply got the new, improved and stronger Weevil spray out of his pocked and used it on the Weevil. It was now sedated in the boot of the SUV.
"Whaaat?" Jack whined- he was beginning to return to normal. "In that incredibly hyperactive state of mind, jumping on its back seemed like a good idea! Besides, it wasn't a picnic for me either. Do you KNOW what floating in that pond? Eeeew..." Jack shuddered.
"And you're ruining the upholstery. I'm going to have to clean that before it dries." Ianto was complaining, but his mouth was curving into a smile.
They lapsed into silence. Not awkward, just no need to speak. Jack leant over and switched on the music. 'Assassin' bleared out, and Jack began head banging.
"Since when have you liked Muse?" Ianto questioned. "I thought you didn't like any music since Glen Miller!"
"Actually, you're right. I don't." He turned the radio down, and hit another station. Tchaikovsky flowed into the SUV, and Jack visibly relaxed.
They were nearing the Hub when Jack suddenly twitched violently.
"What?" Ianto asked, somewhat apprehensively.
Jack didn't answer, but just kept jolting. He moaned.
"Jack, what?" Ianto was truly concerned now. "What is it?"
Still jolting, Jack put his hand down his trousers waistband.
Ianto's eyes widened. Jack had just pulled a still wriggling fish out of his underwear.
Ianto gasped. "That fish is going to be in therapy for the rest of its life."
Jack grinned. "Can we keep it?"
"Why the hell would you want to keep it?!"
"... I've become rather attached. I think I'm in love. Its technique is almost as good as yours. Almost."
"No, Jack, the last time we had a fish, Owen thought it would be funny to see if the Weevils could swim for their pray."
"Ah, but this is no ordinary fish. It just made me-".
"SO don't want to know," Ianto interrupted.
Jack giggled.
***
They were back at the Hub. Jack had put the fish safely in a tank of water in his office, after christening it 'James'.
"Why James?"
"No reason..."
Jack was evidently back to his normal self, and was no longer giggling like an idiot.
"Ianto?"
Ianto looked up from the paper he was sorting on Jacks desk. "Hmmm?"
"Do you fancy, you know, going and getting a- a drink?"
Ianto looked shocked for a moment, but then smiled and said, "Certainly, Sir. I'll get it for you right away."
Jack laughed, a normal laugh, not like a psychopathic three year old, and caught Iantos arm.
"Not coffee. I meant like at the Pub kinda drink. You know, chemicals that do delicious this to your body, resulting God only knows what."
Iantos eyes widened, and grinned.
"Are you sure?"
"Would I be asking if I wasn't?"
"True, Captain, very true."
***
They were at a bar in the middle of Cardiff, and were actually rather enjoying themselves. Neither was drunk, just merry.
"So, Ianto, Ianto Jones. What now?" Jack was grinning in that way again.
"Ummm... Well, we could go back to the Hub."
"Oh, but that's not very romantic, is it?"
"How about... Back to mine?"
"Now that's more like it!"
Both men stood up, Jack grabbing his coat, and began to make their way out of the bar. However, half way out, they were stopped by someone who was presumably a barman, or the manager.
"Excuse me, Gents, but do either of you play piano? Only, our player called in sick this evening, and we really do need someone. You'll get paid, of course."
Jack smiled apologetically. "Sorry. I've no talent in that department. Fingers aren't long enough. Well, I suppose not everything can be, eh?"
Ianto shot Jack a look. "I play." Jack looked at Ianto in shock. "I can sing too, if you like." Jacks eyes were the size of dinner plates.
The man looked ecstatic. "Brilliant! The piano's just there, feel free to play what you want."
Ianto made his way over to the instrument, looking over his shoulder at Jack. His face was classic, totally thrown.
Ianto settled at the seat, and skimmed his fingers over the keys. It really was a beautiful instrument; grand, dark mahogany.
Jack settled at a new stool, closer to Ianto. And his eyes nearly fell out of his head when Ianto started to play.
'Piano Man' flowed out of the piano. And then he began to sing.
'It's nine o'clock on a Saturday, and the regular crowd shuffles in,
There's on old man sitting next to me, making love to his tonic and gin.'
Iantos voice was beautiful; clear and musical, it rang out in the Bar, and people started to stare. Ianto, however, seemed not to notice. He was totally relaxed, and played the piano like it was a lover, like it was Jack.
'He says 'Son, can you play me a memory? I'm not really sure how it goes.
But it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it complete when I wore a younger mans clothes.'
Sing us a song, you're the Piano Man, sing us a song tonight.
Well, we're all in the mood for a melody, and you've got us feeling alright.'
Jack didn't realise until now he had tears flowing down his cheeks. It was this song, and it was Ianto- it was perfection.
'Now John at the Bar is a friend of mine, he gets me drinks for free,
And he's quick with a joke, or to light up your smoke,
But there's someplace that he'd rather be.
And the waitress is practicing politics, as a businessman slowly gets stoned,
Yes, they're sharing a drink they call loneliness, but it's better than drinking alone.'
The woman who was sitting next to Jack offered him a tissue, which he took absentmindedly, but did not use.
Ianto soon had the song reaching a crescendo, and the crowd was absorbed in the song.
'And the piano, it sounds like a carnivore, and the microphone smells like a beer.
And they sit at the bar, and put bread in my jar, and say 'man what are you doing here?
Sing us a song, you're the piano man, sing us a song to night,
Well, we're all in the mood for a melody, and you've got us feeling alright.'
Ianto played the last few notes, and, when he finished, every person on the Bar got onto their feet, applauding, and whistling. Ianto smiled bashfully, and sought Jacks face in the crowd. When he found it, he was greeted by a face flooded in tears, but also that bright, beaming smile. Ianto felt his breathing hitch, and a lump developed in his throat, but he pushed it down, and smiled back.
The crowd began to cheer for a new song, and Ianto obliged, playing something more upbeat; 'Faster Than The Speed Of Light.' The crowd began to clap along, filling in for the missing drum beats. Though Ianto couldn't do Bonnie Tyler's husky voice, it still sounded fantastic. Jack found himself laughing, and wiping away his tears.
It was a perfect evening.
***
It was about two o'clock in the morning when Jack and Ianto eventually left the pub.
Ianto had made Jack cry again when he played 'River Flows in You', but, truth be told, Ianto only played it because his voice was a little sore.
They were now walking hand in hand back to the Hub, because, as it turned out, Ianto had left his flat key.
Jack stopped, still holding Iantos hand.
"Why didn't you tell me you could play?"
"It... never came up," Ianto said, with a shrug of his shoulders.
"That... Back there tonight... Ianto that was... perfection."
"It wasn't that good, Jack."
"Oh, it was, believe me."
They continued walking, until they made it back to the tourist office, and Ianto let them in. The Hub was empty, as they fully expected.
Ianto could still see James in his bowl, on Jack's desk.
"Ianto..." Jack stood in front of Ianto, and pulled him into a tender kiss.
"I just wanted to say thank you for such a perfect evening. And that, now, I'm going to repay that favour."
Jack kissed Ianto again and pulled him into his office.
***
Ianto woke late the next morning. Jacks little alarm clock told him it was eleven thirty. Christ, Owen was going to be so pissed that he wasn't greeted with his morning coffee.
Ianto groaned, and turned over, not quite ready to get up, and was greeted by a note addressed to him. He reached for it, opened it, and began to read.
Ianto,
I didn't have the heart to wake you; you looked like a fallen angel asleep there.
Oh, and don't worry, I asked James the fish if he was ok, and he said there was no
Need for therapy after him witnessing what happened last night.
Get up when you want. I told the others that you were ill last night, and I made you
Camp out on my bed, for safety.
Anyway. See you later.
I love you.
My Piano Man.
J xxx
Ianto smiled, and traced the words with the tip of his finger. He put it on the bed side table, and snuggled down into the blankets. No need to get up yet.