I. Game

The night started out innocent enough.

The first round was on Owen: a pint for everyone, even Jack, who almost always avoided drinking with the rest of the team. This time he accepted with a gracious tip of the head. Ianto knew it would certainly be Jack's only one, though, because that was Jack, who kept a decanter and tumbler in his office so he could apparently drink expensive scotch in private. Ianto joined the others as they raised their glasses before the conversation turned to work and rugby and the mundane chatter that typically filled most pubs on a Friday night.

All innocent enough.

Jack went to the bar for their second round, and when he returned, he had a glass of water for himself, just as he always did when the team was out together. They ordered food, and talk turned to the big Rift opening that Tosh anticipated sometime in the next few weeks.

"Think we'll ever get anything fun?" asked Owen. Everyone threw him a skeptical look. "What? All we ever get is space junk and ugly aliens. Why can't we get something decent for a change?"

"Such as?" asked Gwen.

"What about interstellar toys?" suggested Tosh. "Toys are fun. I wonder what kids play will with in the future."

"The same things as they do now, just much, much more advanced," said Jack with what looked like a knowing smile. He was always making those kinds of comments, and Ianto always filed them away, knowing Jack had his secrets.

"I don't want advanced children's toys," Owen huffed. "Just something fun for once."

"I don't think the words 'rip in the space-time continuum' and 'fun' are quite synonymous," said Ianto, pitching it as dryly as possible. Owen downed his second pint and rolled his eyes at Ianto in that patronizing way he'd adopted not long after Ianto had started at the Hub.

"Whatever the hell that means, tea boy. Drink up."

So he did.

Owen's third pint (courtesy of Tosh) went quickly. He set down the empty glass and glanced around the table with a not-very-subtle grin on his face. Ianto was learning that it didn't take much to loosen the doctor's tongue.

"So what would you want to come through then? What'd be your Rift gift?"

"Oi," said Ianto, letting an affronted look cross his face. "I'm in charge of artifact identification."

"Other people can rhyme too, you know," Owen tossed back. "And for that you can go first. If you could have anything fall through the Rift right into your lap, what would it be?"

Jack snorted from where he was sitting across the table, and everyone turned toward him. "What? Sorry, just the idea of something landing on my lap like that is…well, pretty damn exciting, if you ask me."

"Not if it bites your balls off," muttered Owen. He shared a pained look with Ianto, who had to nod in agreement given such a thing was certainly possible when dealing with the Rift.

"Hasn't happened yet," Jack said, raising his water glass in a cheeky toast.

Owen ignored him and turned back to Ianto. "Come on, then. What would it be? More post-it notes and pens?"

"I have honestly never given it one bit of thought, Owen," said Ianto, highly amused at the direction of the conversation in spite of the doctor's obvious attempt to belittle him. "Because the probability of the Rift ever spitting out something that doesn't snort, snarl, or explode seems too impossible to calculate."

"You have no imagination," Owen muttered.

"I have quite an active imagination. I just don't imagine those kinds of things about the Rift." He raised an eyebrow in challenge, and Owen stared at him, as if trying to puzzle out just what Ianto might be imagining.

"I don't think I want to know where you'd go with that," Owen finally decided.

"Probably not," Ianto agreed, and he finished his pint with a grin, trying not to glance up when he felt Jack's eyes on him. It was rare for Ianto to join the team at the pub, and this was his first time out with them since his suspension. Apparently their experience in Brynnblaidd had not completely backfired, and Ianto was slowly but surely becoming a part of the team again. Life was starting to feel almost normal, like it had before Canary Wharf, when he'd go out with Lisa and his coworkers and not worry about things like Cybermen and cannibals.

"Go on, then," said Tosh, glancing between him and Owen. "You answer the question, Owen."

Owen seemed to think about it. "A working spaceship would be nice, something not in smoking bits and pieces." Beside the doctor, Jack was nodding in agreement, a wistful look on his face. Owen continued before anyone could jump in.

"I think, though, that just once I'd like to meet a really hot alien and not something that wants to take my head off and use it as a chew toy."

They were all silent as they considered his answer, until Gwen wandered off and returned with another round of drinks. She also brought back two shots for Owen and Ianto, apparently to see what they might get up to out of the Hub. Ianto slammed it back with Owen, for once just going with it.

"So would you shag it?" asked Tosh. "The really hot alien from the Rift?" She was pleasantly relaxed after another glass of wine, otherwise Ianto knew she would have never asked such a question. Owen appeared to think about it, as if it was actually a difficult decision for him.

"Carys," Jack coughed into his hand, and Gwen blushed while Owen snorted.

"Yeah, all right. I'd shag it as long as I didn't explode into a cloud of dust at the wrong moment."

"Or the right one," Ianto murmured. Jack wagged his eyebrows, and Ianto rolled his eyes in response, though he allowed a teasing lilt to pull at his lips. He noticed that Owen's glass was empty again, so he pushed his drink across the table for the good doctor. He was also feeling pleasantly relaxed and a bit less inhibited than he normally was around the Hub, but he wasn't about to embarrass himself just as things were finally starting to turn around.

"Cheers, mate," said Owen, taking the drink without a second thought. "So come on, none of you have ever wanted to shag an alien?" Owen asked, directing his question to the table.

"Been there, done that," said Jack cheerfully. Tosh waved her hand at them in an embarrassed reminder, having also done so quite recently. Gwen seemed to shrink into her seat, refusing to answer seeing as she'd had a go at Carys not many months ago, so Owen turned to Ianto yet again.

"How about you? See any alien action in London?"

"Owen!" Tosh exclaimed, but Ianto shook his head, thinking he might have a bit of fun with Owen. Ianto could match verbal wits with the doctor sober, but Owen was well on his way to soused and stupid, making it even easier.

"Of course not. Torchwood London didn't sleep with aliens, we just destroyed them and scavenged their technology." Out of the corner of his eye, Ianto noticed Jack tense. Torchwood Three was nothing like One, and it had been a source of ill feelings between Jack and the London office for years, even after One had been destroyed.

He pushed those thoughts from his mind as Owen snorted again.

"So you must know quite a bit about aliens, if you were the archive whore over there, too."

"A bit," Ianto replied blandly, ignoring the insult. Jack had sat up straighter and was watching the exchange intently, no doubt ready to put a stop to Owen's name calling when it really wasn't a big deal, and Ianto could handle himself anyway. "We archive whores do like our hanging files." Both Tosh and Gwen stifled a laugh, and Ianto was glad to see Jack relax.

"Anything you'd shag?" asked Owen, missing the subtle innuendo completely. Ianto stood up and grinned, throwing a quick look at Jack before answering; Jack's eyes widened slightly, and Ianto resisted the urge to wink. He hadn't had that much to drink, after all. Why had he even looked at Jack after that particular question? He was over those kinds of thoughts about Jack, wasn't he?

"Time for another round?" Ianto asked with a grin.

"All right," said Owen, setting down the double shot of Grey Goose Ianto had given him before taking a pull of his next pint. "If we're not going to talk about extraterrestrial sex, then how about some more down to earth shags?"

"Owen, are you trying to get one of us into bed?" asked Jack, and Ianto laughed into his glass. Owen was definitely hung up on the subject, which was normally something Ianto steered clear off, but this time was different. Gwen looked nervous, which made sense since she was sleeping with the doctor, and Tosh was staring into her wine glass, also uncomfortable. Jack, of course, loved the topic, so maybe Ianto could have a bit of fun with him as well…

"'Course not," Owen replied. "Just trying to keep the conversation going with my verbal repartee."

"Keep trying," Ianto murmured, earning himself a narrow-eyed glare from the doctor.

"We could talk about something besides sex," Gwen suggested a bit too brightly, which was echoed by Tosh.

"Jack?" asked Owen, whinging for support. Jack shrugged in response, but looked straight at Ianto when he spoke.

"I'm always good when it comes to sex."

"I bet you are," murmured Tosh, and when everyone turned toward her in surprise, she blushed and apologized.

"No need to apologize, Tosh," said Owen, waving his hand in the air. "At least Jack's willing to go where the rest of you won't."

Ianto opened his mouth to reply, but Owen stopped him, which was probably a good thing, since Ianto wasn't quite sure what direction to go with that particular opening.

"Don't say it, Jones. I take it back."

"Thank god," murmured Tosh, and Jack pulled a face at her, miming disappointment.

"So Jack, what's the most interesting shag you've had?" asked Owen. He seemed to realize whom he was talking to and continued before Jack could answer. "With a human being here on planet Earth."

Jack pretended to think, as if earthbound sex was too mundane, and the girls couldn't help but laugh. Ianto watched Jack closely, wondering what the man might say. He shouldn't be interested, but he was. Jack did have a reputation, after all.

"I do like roofs," Jack finally offered with a grin.

"Mile high club then?" asked Owen.

"Naturally," said Jack. "In fact, I'm a car-holding member of the original mile high club."

"Of course you are," said Owen, not really registering the implication. Ianto filed it away with the other incongruous facts about Jack he was still trying to piece together. Owen snapped his fingers at Ianto. "Your turn. If you've got anything worth sharing, that is."

"Oh, I do," said Ianto, sipping slowly at his glass and once again ignoring Owen's barbs. He had left off with the beer in order to keep some of his wits about him, though he still felt pleasantly relaxed and unusually confident. He sensed things could get very interesting indeed. "You first, though."

"Most interesting shag I've ever had? Had to be this couple I picked up in a bar once. Nice threesome. Went back to her playroom, and it was kinky as hell."

Tosh was shaking her head. "Oh, Owen."

"What?" he asked. "Can you top it?" He sniggered at his own joke.

"I'm not even going to try. Gwen, want to get some snacks at the bar and leave them to it?"

Gwen looked torn between staying to listen and leaving with Tosh, but finally nodded. "Yeah, I don't think this is going to be something we want to hear."

They left to the sound of Owen shouting, "It's better than playing who'd you last snog!" Ianto knew Jack was watching him again, remembering how uncomfortable that game had been.

"Where were we?" asked Owen. "Jones, your turn."

Ianto sat up straighter, a curious thought passing through his mind as he glanced first at Jack and then back at Owen. He had taken off his suit coat after the first pint; now he slowly unbuttoned his waistcoat, knowing that Jack was watching and enjoying it immensely. "How much do you want to know?"

"I don't want the sordid details, if that's what you're offering," Owen replied, pulling a face.

"I do," Jack said almost instantly. There was that grin again. Ianto turned toward him with a sparkle in his eye, ready to play.

"Twins, back in uni."

"You didn't!" Owen crowed.

"I did. Identical twins."

Jack almost choked on his water, setting down the glass and staring at Ianto with an incredulous look that Ianto suspected was also slightly turned on. "I don't believe it either."

"Piano duo, actually. Very deft fingers."

"Bollocks," declared Owen. "You're taking the piss."

That got the doctor an eye roll. "Don't believe it, then. It still happened, and I will always enjoy Mozart because of it. I believe it's your turn, Jack."

Jack narrowed his eyes at Ianto as if he'd been challenged and licked his lips before answering. "Triplets. Two sisters and a brother. In a hatchback. And the Rolling Stones."

Owen shook his head. "No way. Too crowded in a hatchback."

"Don't believe it," replied Jack, echoing Ianto's words and holding Ianto's gaze. "It still happened, and 'Ride On, Baby' is the only song from the sixties I remember. Got anything better, Owen?"

"Well, I wish I could claim quadruplets, but I can't. I have, however, done it in public a number of times."

The other two men nodded in appreciation. When Owen looked to Ianto as if it were his turn again, Ianto grinned and sipped at his drink. He once again let his glance slide toward Jack before speaking, running his tongue over his upper lip and enjoying the slight part of Jack's lips in response. Oh, this was fun, much more fun than he'd ever thought it could be.

"Elevator?"

"Yep."

"Fitting room?"

"Of course." Owen narrowed his eyes. "Dance floor?"

"Nope. Don't dance much." Ianto sat back and put his hands in his pockets, stretching his legs out before him. He thought he saw Jack swallow and adjust the way he was sitting in his chair. "Local park. On the swing."

"Moving or stationary?" asked Owen.

"Oh, we were swinging all right," murmured Ianto, his eyes gazing distantly across the pub as if he was recalling an exceptionally fond memory. It had been a good night, but other more immediate images were floating across his mind at that moment that had nothing to do with the girl or the park. Owen whooped again; Jack groaned, but Ianto knew it wasn't at his joke. He had the man hooked, there was almost no doubt.

"Jones, you surprise me. Jack, you need a turn at this. Public sex?"

"Love it," said Jack, clearing his throat as if he needed to focus. "Name a place, and I've been there."

They did, and he had. Simple as that. Ianto was impressed, and found himself more than a little turned on now as well.

"Come on, Jack, throw us a bone," Owen finally begged. "What could we have possibly missed?"

"Well, there was this crazy blonde in the sidecar of a motorcycle on the Autobahn."

Ianto smirked, unable to stop a lurid image from forming in his head but enjoying it none-the-less. "Probably more room than the hatchback, at least."

"Oh, but much faster—the motorcycle, that is," Jack added with cheeky grin. "And then there was the time on horseback…"

Owen spit out his drink, and even Ianto threw his head back and started laughing, which was rare for him as he preferred to keep even the most positive feelings to himself most of the time. He wiped his eyes and loosened his tie, a smile remaining on his face as he shook his head at Jack. The man was incorrigible, sometimes. Which was unfortunately also extremely appealing as well…especially right then. Jack was watching him closely, as if hoping for a response. Ianto merely inclined his head as he sipped at his drink and let Jack watch him, thinking about what to do next. The pub was too public to step it up much more, after all. Maybe back at the Hub…

"All right," said Owen, oblivious to just about everything around him. "We've done group sex and public sex. Excellent. Time for another round!"

Ianto offered to get the next again and ordered himself another tonic water. He definitely wanted his wits about him, because he was determined to win whatever game he and Jack were now playing.

And he knew exactly what the prize would be as well.

Author's Notes:

This takes place just before TKKS. I started it months ago after some fun conversations about Jack and Ianto, flirting and taking the initiative with Cerih and Darcy58. It was supposed to be short and sexy, but it evolved into a bit more. There are three parts, and I hope you enjoy the rest!