Summary: What was really going on in Jack's office when Gwen saw them together in "Without Love?"Author: Aviv_b
Written for a Schmoop bingo challenge at Live Journal. The prompt: Love Song
Title: Come Rain or Come Shine
A/N: This story parallels the events in my schmoop bingo story Without Love previously posted here.
Ianto Jones was a mystery. A mystery surrounded by an enigma dressed in a very nicely fitted suit. It had taken time for them to reestablish their relationship after the Cyberwoman incident, but things seemed to be going well between them until about a week ago. All of a sudden Jack had felt Ianto pull away from him both physically and emotionally.
Jack didn't want to admit it at first, but he was hurt by Ianto's change in behavior. They had spent time together in the Hub after the others had left and while they hadn't returned to full intimacy, they were well on their way. And now when he asked Ianto to help him cover the Hub on Saturday, Ianto had declined citing the need to spend the day with his sister.
Jack snorted. Ianto and his sister weren't very close. What on earth could induce Ianto to spend the entire day with his sister and family? Jack had pried a little, but Ianto wouldn't tell him anything. He wondered if Ianto's niece or nephew were sick, or if his sister was getting a divorce, or maybe his brother-in-law was dying. But that wouldn't explain why Ianto was pulling back from Jack. Maybe something was wrong with Ianto, maybe Ianto was seeing someone else, maybe…
Jack silenced the thoughts swirling around his head. 'Get a grip, Harkness, you sound like a doting boyfriend or a lovesick suitor,' he chided. It had been so long since Jack had experienced similar emotions, that it took Jack a few moments to realize that he had really fallen for the young man. He couldn't say exactly when it had happened, but Ianto Jones had managed to penetrate his emotional barriers and somehow captured his heart.
Jack knew he had to be very careful in approaching Ianto. He was still healing from the loss of Lisa which followed the fall Canary Wharf by only six weeks. Add to that a week's suspension, and the team's coldness towards him when he returned, it was a miracle that Ianto was functional at all. The only person who might be able to help him was Tosh. She seemed to never really be angry with Ianto and she accepted him back as a team member immediately.
"Tosh, do you have a few moments to review some intel I got this morning from UNIT," he asked her as the team returned from lunch." The team minus Ianto actually, as he had begged off citing how much work he still had to catch up on following his suspension.
"Sure Jack, is it something interesting?" she quipped. Most of the time the UNIT reports were about as interesting as reading the sale flyer from the local Tesco's.
"Interesting, nah," Jack said trying to keep it casual, "maybe a little curious, that's all."
Tosh followed Jack back to his office where he surprised her with his candor.
"I'm worried about Ianto. He's becoming withdrawn again. Did you notice that today was the third time in two weeks that he wouldn't go to lunch with us? "
Tosh bit her lip uncertain how much she should really say.
"Is something wrong with him Tosh? Is he sick? He said he had to visit his sister this Saturday, is everything all right?"
Tosh suppressed a smile. "What happened to love 'em and leave 'em Harkness?" she mused.
"Well he didn't say anything about his sister or her family, so I can't help you there, but as for being part of the team…" Tosh sighed. "Owen's been on Ianto's case for the last week or so."
Jack had no idea what Tosh was talking about. "Jack, everyone knows that something was going on between you and Ianto before, um, Lisa. Owen used to tease Ianto about it, even once calling him your part-time shag."
Jack winced. "But since Ianto's return from suspension, Owen's teasing has taken on a much sharper edge." Jack waited for her to go on. He could tell Tosh was embarrassed and uncomfortable talking about it.
"Ianto was upset with the mess at Owen's workstation and called Owen a slob, and then Owen got mad and called Ianto Captain Jack's Whore." Jack took a breath in surprise.
"Tosh, you know that's not true…you know I don't think about Ianto that way."
"It doesn't matter what I know, what does Ianto know, Jack? Do you ever take him out? Do you do anything to indicate that he isn't anything more than a convenient warm body?"
Jack opened his mouth and then shut it again without saying anything.
"You might want to think about that before it's too late."
"Whhaat? What are you saying? What do you know?"
"Honestly, he hasn't told me anything. But given that he used the excuse of seeing his sister on Saturday, it wouldn't surprise me if he didn't have a date."
Saturday morning Jack sat alone in the Hub. Tosh's rift prediction program hadn't shown any signs of activity until Sunday night, but sometimes the rift would act up anyway. He couldn't stop thinking about Ianto. Was he out with someone else? Had Jack let him slip away just when they seemed to be getting their relationship back on track?
By Noon Jack was pacing around his office. By 2 PM, he couldn't stand it anymore. Like everyone at Torchwood, Ianto had a tracker in his cell phone. And since they were all required to have their cells with them at all times, it was easy to locate Ianto. Jack programmed his wrist band to notify him if the rift spiked, left the Hub, got into the SUV and drove off to find his errant Ianto.
The signal led him to a park in a rundown neighborhood in Swansea. The park was as shabby as the rest of the area. A few battered picnic tables, a locked field house covered with graffiti, why on earth would anyone come here? As he strolled through the park he heard laughter from the other side of the field house. He circled around so that he could observe the other side without being noticed.
There was Ianto sitting at the end of a picnic table. The picnic table was laden with the leftovers of a meal. Next to Ianto were a young boy around ten years old and a little girl around four or five. A man in his mid thirties sat next to the boy, while a woman a few years younger was just lighting candles on a cake. They were all wearing silly hats and there were balloons tied to the corners of the table.
A party! Jack smiled. It must be one of the kid's birthdays.
As the woman set down the cake they all began to sing Happy Birthday. Jack was gob smacked when he hear them sing "Happy Birthday Uncle Ianto, Happy Birthday to you."
Ianto was beaming. He was also blushing with embarrassment. Jack thought he looked adorable.
"Blow out the candles, Uncle Ianto," the little girl cried excitedly.
"Lot of candles, Uncle Ianto, " the boy smirked, "think you can get them all in one go."
"You just watch," Ianto snarked and quickly blew them all out.
They ate the cake and joked around a bit and then the man, named Johnny, took the kids over to play on the rusty swings. The woman moved to sit next to Ianto.
She took Ianto's hands in hers. "I know its been a tough year for you Ianto, surviving the terrorist attack when your girlfriend didn't. You keep saying you're fine, but I can tell you're not, not really. I'm your sister, so you can't fool me."
"No I am OK, really Rhi…well sort of…no not at all," he admitted. His sister hugged him tightly. "I thought I was getting better, but I had a set back a few weeks ago, and I can't seem to get my equilibrium back."
Jack felt a little sick. He had vowed not to ignore Ianto again, and he hadn't seen how Ianto had regressed since Jack had killed cyber-Lisa. He didn't know that Owen was making Ianto's life hell. He didn't even know it was Ianto's birthday. What kind of boyfriend was he? Boyfriend? Yeah boyfriend, Jack acknowleged. Jack left the family gathering and returned to the Hub.
He checked Ianto's personnel record and was relieved to see that Ianto's actual birthday was the following Saturday. He still had time to make things right. As he made his preparations, he was determined to surprise Ianto. So during the next week he flirted a bit with Ianto and then flirted a bit with Gwen for good measure. He even flirted with Owen who scowled in return.
Friday August 18, 2006 was a very quiet day at the Hub. Tosh, Owen and Gwen had caught up on their paperwork and were sitting around playing cards. Ianto was down in the archives as usual. At three that afternoon, Jack told everyone to go home. Once everyone had left, he quickly set up his office and called Ianto on his comm..
"Ianto, I'm having a little trouble with this report for the Prime Minister. Can you come up to my office and give me a hand?"
"Right away sir." Ianto came up the stairs to Jack's office a few minutes later. As he opened the door, Ianto was startled to be grabbed into an embrace by Jack. He tried to pull back, but Jack held him tight.
"I don't think I've been treating you the way you deserve. We haven't gone on any dates, I haven't bought you any presents; I've really taken you for granted."
Ianto couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Jack, are you feeling alright?"
"I'm feeling very ashamed for being such a thoughtless boyfriend. I haven't had a real lover for many years, and I've sort of forgotten the rules of courtship." Ianto snorted at his outdated terminology. "Go ahead and laugh at me, but I want to do things right. I was thinking of dinner and dancing for your birthday tomorrow night, but would you mind if we had a practice session tonight in private?"
Ianto was speechless. He watched as Jack went over to an old phonograph and started a record playing. "May I have this dance, Mr. Jones?"
Ianto turned a little pink and worried his bottom lip. "Not much for dancing," he mumbled looking at his feet.
"That's OK, just follow my lead." As they swayed to the music Jack sang along:
I'm gonna love you, like nobody's loved you
Come rain or come shine
High as a mountain, deep as a river
Come rain or come shine
I guess when you met me
It was just one of those things
But don't you ever bet me
'Cause I'm gonna be true if you let me
You're gonna love me, like nobody's loved me
Come rain or come shine
We'll be happy together, unhappy together
Now won't that be just fine
The days may be cloudy or sunny
We're in or out of the money
But I'm with you always
I'm with you rain or shine
Ianto closed his eyes and felt the warmth radiating from Jack's body. He kept a tight grip on Jacks shoulders almost afraid that if he let go and opened his eyes he would find that he had been dreaming.
As the music ended, Jack kissed Ianto tenderly, "I mean it Ianto, we're going to do this right." Jack pulled back a bit. "That is if you want to."
Ianto had never wanted anything more in his entire life. He pulled Jack to him and kissed him deeply. Jack returned the kiss murmuring endearments to Ianto as Ianto began to push Jack back on the desk. "Not here," Jack whispered. "Let's go down to my room and get comfortable."
Ianto was surprised when Jack pulled him onto the bed fully clothed. As he slowly undressed Ianto Jack began to sing softly:
You are my Yan-Toe, I won't ever let go
Come rain or come shine
'oh god.'
It's kind of funny, We met through Myfanwy
Now that's not a crime
'hope he doesn't give up his day job'
'I think this is going pretty good'
And if you let me
I'll love you just right
It's Happy Birthday
So I'll rock you all night, if you get me…get me
'snort'
"Are you laughing at me Mr. Jones?"
"No." '(hahahaha)'
I want you so bad, Say no and I'll be sad
So give me your time
We'll chase the weevils, have lots of hot thrills
And it will be divine
I'll be the sun 'round your planet
I'll howl when I come just like Janet
'he didn't,
he didn't just make a weevil sex joke did he?'
'Yeah, now Daddy's rocking'
But I'm with you Yan-Toe
I'm with you rain or come shine
'thunk, I just think I just died of the Lulz'
'He's smiling, he liked it!'
"Oh Jack, that was just amazing."
"Yeah?"
"Truly. I can say I've never heard anything quite like it."
"Let me make love to you Ianto."
"On one condition."
"Uh, OK."
"No more singing."
"Oh I'm not the one who's going to be doing the singing tonight, Mr. Jones."
"Promises, promises."
"You know, there's a song by that name…"
"Jack."
"Yes?"
"Shut up and kiss me already."
"OK. More kissing, no singing."
Ianto sighed as he Jack began to kiss him senseless.
'I just know he's got something else planned.'
'Just wait till I start humming the song
While I suck his cock.'
"He'll love it.'
As Jack worked his way down Ianto's body, an evil grin appeared on his face. He took Ianto into his mouth…
Hmmm, Hmm-hmm Hmm Hmmm...
'He wouldn't…
.no…no….help, help...
somebody save me!'
