AN: Bit of a random one-shot here – just an excuse for a few fun Jack/Ianto moments really.
Dedication: JBMinuet – sorry its taking me so long to beta-read your story, I have become somewhat distracted, but I am on the case I promise!
Jack leant back in his chair, his legs stretched out in front of him, his arms high above his head as he unwound the tension that had formed in his back after spending three hours doing paperwork, hunched over his desk. He kicked his feet onto his desk, crossing them at the ankles as he folded his arms across his chest and listened. There was nothing. No tapping coming from Toshiko's computer keyboard, no arguing coming from Gwen and Owen, and no clink of mugs coming from the kitchen and Ianto. It was Sunday afternoon and the Hub was deserted, the team enjoying their one-day off a week, except for end of World situations of course. Sunday's also meant a day without Ianto. The young Welshman would always stay over on a Saturday night, knowing that there was no chance any of the team would catch him wandering around in a state of undress, but he would leave after breakfast in the morning and not return until 6am on Monday. Jack and Ianto both agreed that this twenty-four hour separation was necessary, and Ianto reminded Jack that it was a good time for him to catch up on the paperwork he'd been avoiding all week by chasing the young archivist around. But Jack's Sunday's always ended up following the same cycle, no matter how hard he tried to fight it. Following Ianto's departure, usually a little after 10am, Jack would retire to his office and pull out his paperwork and spend the next few hours reading, editing, signing and sorting through the small mountain that would gather in his inbox throughout the course of the week. After three or four hours though, Jack would get bored, his mind would wander, and he'd invariably think of better things he could be doing with his afternoon. And it usually involved breaking the enforced downtime between him and Ianto. As Jack's mind wandered it wasn't memories of steamy meetings with Ianto that filled his thoughts. During quiet moments of reflection, Jack would think back to the more subtle moments of their "relationship", and when one of them was Jack Harkness, subtle moments were rare, and treasured.
TW
Jack was sat at the head of the table in the conference room; Gwen and Toshiko sat on his left, Owen and Ianto on his right. The images projected on the wall above his head showed the results of Owen's latest post-mortem on a creature that had fallen rather dramatically through the rift earlier that day, and had proceeded to collapse and die, apparently intolerant to oxygen. An argument was ensuing, as always, between Owen and the girls, their voices raised as each tried to shout the other one down. What they were arguing about, Jack had no idea. His full attention was taken up by Ianto, who was sat silently beside Owen, smirking at the childish behaviour on display. Ianto looked across at Jack, feeling the immortal man's gaze on him, and met his eyes. The Welshman's eyebrows raised and then fell in a move so fast Jack almost missed it, but as a small smile played on Ianto's lips again Jack couldn't help but smirk himself. Jack winked at Ianto, watching as the small smile expanded to a grin. The sooner this 'discussion' was over, the better.
TW
"Huge rift spike just north of Bute Park… the predictor didn't pick it up… we better run." Tosh called as the sirens sounded in the previously quiet Hub. Owen came running out of the autopsy bay, pushing his gun into the waistband of his jeans and pulling his jacket on. Gwen was already halfway out the door, Tosh in close pursuit, as Jack jogged down the steps from his office with Ianto following carrying the immortal man's coat, holding it up and helping him put it on. "Be careful." Ianto said softly, brushing his hand down Jack's arm and giving his hand the briefest and gentlest of squeezes as he ran for the door. Jack stopped just before he went through the cog door, turned to face Ianto and spoke. "I promise." He said with an uncharacteristically low-key smile before hurrying after the rest of the team.
TW
The team was gathered around Toshiko's computer. She was sat in her chair tapping away at the keyboard with Owen, Jack and Gwen circled around her eyes fixed on the screen. "Coffee?" Ianto called as he wandered out kitchen with a tray. "Brilliant thanks." Gwen called back as the Welshman arrived at the desk. He placed Toshiko's mug down on her desk, just about managing to seek out her coaster amongst all the paperwork. Next he handed a mug to Gwen, reminding her it was hot and to be careful as she gripped it with both hands and winced a little at the temperature. Passing Jack he handed the next mug to Owen who took it with a rare acknowledgement of thanks. Ianto picked up Jack's mug before placing the empty tray on Gwen's desk. He stood directly behind Jack and handed the mug over the immortal man's shoulder. "Thank you Ianto." Jack said not taking his eyes off the screen. Moments later his eyes widened and he struggled to suppress a snigger as the Welshman wandered off again nonchalantly never looking back at the team, making Jack almost think he'd imagined the gentle pinch Ianto subjected his bottom too before he'd gone.
TW
Jack looked at the clock on his wall. He couldn't believe that it was only half past one, he was sure he'd managed to entertain himself for much longer than that. Standing up he walked over to his coat stand and pulled his great coat from the peg, slipping his arms inside and hoisting it up onto his shoulders. Wandering out of his office he walked down the steps and made his way over to the invisible lift. As the lift rose gracefully upwards Jack smiled as he imagined the exasperated look that would be on Ianto's face when he opened his apartment door in a few minutes to find him standing there. He wouldn't be surprised admittedly, but he would be providing the younger man with endless material to mock him with for the future. Jack hurried across the Plass; the traditional Welsh rain battering down heavily on him, meaning that when he arrived at Ianto's building he was drenched. Jack hurried inside and walked over to the more traditional lift in the far corner of the lobby and stepping inside pushed the button for the top floor. Within moments the lift had arrived at the top of the building and Jack stepped out, wandering down the hall and pausing outside Ianto's apartment door. Taking a deep breath he knocked lightly, smiling as he heard the approaching Welshman walking towards his front door, pulling it open.
"You're dripping water all over the hall." Ianto said simply, his face the expected combination of exasperation and acceptance.
"It's throwing it down outside." Jack said unnecessarily. "Can I come in?" He asked.
Ianto nodded as he stepped aside, opening the door wider as Jack wandered in.
"Don't trail water into my house Jack!" Ianto admonished. "Go hang your coat up in the bathroom – I'll find you something to change in to and you can put your clothes in the dryer."
"Sorry." Jack called as he drifted down the hall.
Ianto shook his head but a small smirk formed on his lips. It was getting increasingly easy to get Jack over on a Sunday, and still leave the immortal man thinking it was his own weakness that got him there, and not careful planning and implementation on his part. All it took was a few well thought out incidents, and a hint of Ianto's infamous subtlety.