I. Scarves (Series 2)

"It's really not that cold, you know," said Jack as they walked side-by-side along the boardwalk and back toward the tourist office.

Ianto glanced up at the grey Cardiff sky; any moment it could start spitting snow and ice on them.

"According the hub's sensors, it's three degrees below zero. With the wind off the bay it probably feels more like ten below."

"It's refreshing," said Jack, breathing deeply—so deeply in fact, that the cold, dry air gave him a coughing fit.

Ianto smugly wrapped his scarf around his neck and offered an exaggerated sigh of warm comfort. Jack rolled his eyes.

"It's rather old-fashioned," he said. Ianto raised an eyebrow; Jack was the last one to talk about looking old-fashioned. "For you, that is."

"You're just jealous that my neck is warm and yours is not."

"I could warm your neck for you," Jack murmured suggestively.

Now it was Ianto's turn to roll his eyes. "Not whilst walking along the boardwalk in the middle of the morning," he pointed out.

"Later?" asked Jack.

"Maybe."

"Why maybe?"

"Maybe if you stop making fun of my outerwear and the fact that I simply prefer to stay warm in the morning."

Jack was quiet for a moment. "It is a nice scarf," he finally admitted. He reached out to the finger the edges. "Soft."

"Cashmere," murmured Ianto.

"And it looks good on you," Jack continued.

"Thank you," replied Ianto, refusing to rise to whatever Jack was baiting him toward. "I like it."

"I do, too." Ianto didn't respond. "Where did you get it?"

"Marks and Spencer," Ianto replied.

"Maybe I should get one," Jack mused, and Ianto narrowed his eyes, suddenly suspicious.

"I thought it wasn't that cold?" he asked. "That it was old-fashioned?"

Jack shrugged as nonchalantly as he could. "It looks comfortable, and you know I like old-fashioned." He paused. "And think of what we could do with two of them—we've got two arms, two legs, two—"

"Yes, I get it," Ianto cut him off. "Quite the visual, thank you."

"I like the visual," Jack murmured. "So should we stop and get me one?"

Ianto couldn't help the skeptical look that floated across his face. "You want me to go shopping with you? For a scarf?"

Jack nodded, an open, eager look on his face that Ianto almost couldn't resist, but managed to at least deflect.

"Well," he hedged. "Maybe if you take me out to dinner later."

"Done," agreed Jack.

"And then let me try a few of own my ideas first," Ianto continued, knowing exactly how to play Jack when it came to certain…arrangements.

"Also done," said Jack. He slipped an arm through Ianto's elbow. "Are you sure you don't have one you could lend me until then?" he murmured.

"Dinner first, Jack," Ianto replied.

"Can we share?" asked Jack. "I'm cold." Ianto laughed.

"I'll warm you up back at the hub," he whispered, leaning in to kiss Jack's neck.

"I'll hold you to that," Jack said with a shiver.

"I hope so."

Author's Notes:

And so it begins. Twelve drabbles, each based on a single word prompt. Some are set series one, some are set series two. Most are not connected. I just wanted to keep it light this season - Happy Holidays and thank you for reading!