Fandom: Torchwood

Pairing: Jack / Ianto

Rating: K+

Author's Note: Set after Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, the same day that Jack returned to his team. We remember, they dealt with John Hart, Jack asked Ianto out for a date... and here we are :)

*|*|* Room below *|*|*

How long until I see your face again
Hold your hand, kiss you, make you smile
Hold you in my arms again, soothe you,
heal you, love you, make you mine ...?

With a sigh Jack took off his coat and hung it upon the hall stand in his office. It didn't take long until he walked, out of habit, to the glass partition opposite to look at his team. Toshiko and Ianto sat with cups of steaming tea in a corner and talked animatedly with each other, Gwen typed a report on the computer and Owen was just packing up his things. Soon they all would go home and leave the busy day behind to relax. Captain John Hart had strained their nerves and robbed all their strenghts.

Jack realized that he got slight headache as he thought of the long day. He had finally returned to his team, after months of absence, only to be overwhelmed with work and aggravation again. He had died once again, rushed through the whole of Cardiff from a to b, ... but what had been most important that day – he had seen his team again. And above all, a person who didn't get out of his head, which haunted him in his confused dreams, made him woolgather – Ianto... with a gentle smile he watched the young Welsh, a tender light came to his eyes. Tired, he sat down on his chair and closed his heavy eyelids for a moment...

He remembered Ianto's touched face, when he had invited him to a rendezvous. Now Jack only knew too well what Ianto meant to him and how much he didn't want to lose him. He had been so afraid of being replaced by someone – only now when he needed the younger more than ever before. When Ianto had given him his acceptance more or less, it took a load off Jack's mind. The last hours of this day Ianto had almost been repellant, very quiet and reserved towards him. Careful, wary of possible injuries. Jack didn't know where they were standing right now. He was more than sorry for leaving Ianto, he knew he had disappointed the younger with his conduct and that he had deeply hurt him. He had to make some amends.

A knock on the door startled Jack, surprised he saw Ianto standing in front of him, holding his jacket in his arm. The hub around was already dark, almost all light were turned off.

"Jack? You probably fell asleep, the others left about 20 minutes ago", said Ianto, while, with his free hand, he pushed a few stacks of paper on Jack's desk to a neat stack. With a yawn, the captain rubbed his tiny eyes and looked questioningly at Ianto. A hint of disappointment spread inside of him when he noticed that Ianto put on his jacket and looked at him expectantly.

"Are you going home?", he asked, trying to sound as casual as possible. Ianto nodded. It seemed to Jack as if he would look at him less, even avoiding his eyes. Thoughtfully he beheld his counterpart and wondered whether he could ever repair the damage he had caused. Whether Ianto would ever trust him again...

"Let's postpone our date, what do you think? How about we went out for dinner tomorrow night?", Ianto asked, already out of Jack's office. With wide eyes Jack watched Ianto leave. He was flabbergasted that Ianto was simply leaving him without a hug, a kiss, anything... Not once since his return had they kissed or shared any physicalness. Jack missed Ianto's kisses, his nearness, his warmth...

Before he could sink into his gloomy thoughts, Ianto suddenly appeared at Jack's office door again, with a small, mischievous smile on his face that took Jack's breath away and made his heart race.

"You don't have to sleep that way, on your chair, by the way. I've specially prepared something for your return."

Questioningly Jack looked at Ianto at a loss. Ianto rolled his eyes theatrically and walked over to Jack. The Captain had to smile when Ianto leaned down and kissed his cheek lovingly.

"Your room..." Another gentle small kiss on Jack's cheek followed. He smelled Ianto's aftershave, the cloud of his body heat wavered to him before it finally disappeared and Ianto left his office.

"Night, Jack, sleep well", he called, and then he was gone.

...

Curiously Jack climbed down the ladder to his bedroom to find out what Ianto had meant with his remark. When he was downstairs and looke daround, his heart stopped for a second with shock and delight. His so-called cave had been transformed into a small palace! Before there had only been the barren concrete walls and his bed, and a rickety old closet – his room. Now everything was beautifully decorated and remodeled.

The walls were painted in white, the ceiling sky blue. Along the walls hung fairy lights. The floor gleamed with dark parquet, a white commode and a fairytale-like mirror hung and stood on the right wall. Jack laughed when he opened the drawers of the dresser and saw how all his clothes were neatly folded into small fine piles. Ianto.

The bed was a dream – warm blankets and thick pillows on a soft feathery mattress upon which Jack sat down quite speechless. When he allowed his gaze to view the room, his eyes fell on a picture frame hanging on a wall, including old photographs. With a smile, he stood up again and looked at the people he had known and loved such a long time ago. At last his eyes found a vase with a bouquet of red pinks. A small card was attached to the bouquet. Somewhere in his head Jack remembered having read that red dianthus meant unfulfilled passion – if one believed in such things. With trembling fingers he opened the card and discovered Ianto's handwriting.

"I miss you."

Three little words that put a smile on Jack's lips and brought the tears to his eyes. He was deeply moved, confused and bewildered. Tears dropped on the flowers as he inhaled their scent to calm down. Ianto had done all of this for him while he was gone. For ages Jack had talked about wanting to knock his bedroom into shape, and often enough Ianto had given him reproachful looks, saying every homeless person could find a better place to sleep.

With an odd feeling in his stomach, Jack crawled under the sheets and enjoyed how relaxation spread through his limbs. He felt a little calmer – somehow he now assumed that he still meant a lot to Ianto, that he had a chance to redress. Back to the drawing board, doing everything better and properly this time. Knowing that Ianto hadn't forgotten him... Half laughing with joy, half sobbing, shaken with emotion, Jack snuggled depper into the pillows and blankets. Ianto's scent surrounded him, made him suspect that the young Welshman had spent many nights in his bed. Completely exhausted and happy Jack finally drifted off, sleeping like a log.

THE END