"Tosh!" Jack called cheerfully, sipping on a fresh cup of coffee. "How's the rift predictor looking over the next week?"
"Pretty calm, Jack. Doesn't look like any major activity is on the horizon."
"Excellent! Keep up the good work. Ianto!" Jack shouted.
"Right here," Ianto said, appearing at Jack's shoulder.
"I need to put a bell on you. Actually, that could be…." Jack stopped at Ianto's withering look. "Anyway… I need to go over some schedules, if you have a minute."
"Always a minute for you, Captain," Ianto smirked, heading directly up to Jack's office.
Jack couldn't keep the smug look away as Tosh just shook her head and went back to her monitors.
"So we're calling it 'schedules' now?" Ianto asked, when Jack joined him. "I guess 'weevil hunting' was getting a bit transparent?"
"Let's be honest, I don't think it was ever opaque. I really do mean schedules though. See, I checked with Tosh on the rift predictor and it looks like we're in for a quiet spell. So, I was thinking… maybe we could get away for a couple days."
"You mean… just the two of us?"
"Yep. What do you think?"
"Can we do that?" Ianto asked. "I mean, what if you're needed here?"
"Torchwood managed without me for a few months," Jack shrugged.
"Managed, Jack. And despite what anyone says, it was more like barely managed."
"I'm just talking about a couple of days. Unless… you're not interested."
"Oh, I'm interested. Just that it's a bit of a surprise. What did you have in mind?"
"Nothing specific. Anything, really."
Ianto's mind teemed with the possibilities. Maybe they could try a camping trip – without the team or the cannibals… but that might not be the most comfortable idea, even if they'd be quite secluded. A hotel would be comfortable… but it would be really obvious that they were there together. Then again, this was Jack Harkness he was considering going away with and maybe all those options were far too ordinary. Maybe Jack's idea of a getaway was more like camping on the third moon of Jupiter or a hotel in the Crab nebula or a grand ball in 1911.
And then the thought came to Ianto of what a big step it was in a relationship to go away together. Had Jack been thinking of that as well when he asked?
"Thoughts?" Jack asked after a minute. "We don't even have to go anyplace. Could spend a couple days lying low at yours, if you'd prefer, just having some quiet time."
It was a tempting thought to Ianto, a couple days curled up on the couch together, all the comforts and privacy of home…. But then maybe if he took Jack up on the offer to have real weekends they could do that anyway. And Jack clearly wanted to do something different… special even.
"Lots of thoughts," Ianto said. "Let's talk about it over dinner?"
"Good idea," Jack said. "I was thinking about stopping at the fishmonger for a piece of salmon to do for dinner. You like cherry glaze, right?"
Ianto looked impressed. "Trip away, my favorite dinner… either you've done something that's going to massively piss me off when I find out or you're planning to propose," Ianto teased, kissing Jack's cheek. "I'll be up in the front office for a bit," he said heading off.
"If I thought for a minute you'd say yes…," Jack said to himself after Ianto had gone.