Teaching Jack Valentines
Pre CofE
Mostly fluff XD
Rating T for now but hey, it could get interesting. .
-oh and this is my first Torchwood fic, so If I fail miserably, please let me know. For the good of the fanfiction-reading community.
also I fail at getting things in at the right time of year.
--
"So let me get this straight. In all the lifetimes you have lived, you have never come across Valentines Day?" Gwen rolled her eyes.
"Not 'never come across it', just never indulged in it, never really seen the point." Jack grinned and leant back in his chair.
"Well never mind that, do you want to come or not?"
They were in Jack's office and Gwen had been trying for the last five minutes to invite Jack out to dinner with her and Rhys. It was more out of kindness than actually wanting him to come; as charming as he was, Jack seemed to have a negative effect on Rhys. It was all Ianto's fault; he wanted Jack out of the Hub long enough for him to prepare his 'surprise' and had persuaded her to invite Jack over to hers to share in her and Rhys' romantic evening. The trouble was Jack was being incredibly difficult.
"I'm just not getting why you want me to join you for the one evening in the year where you two are guaranteed to have sex. I mean, I'm flattered, but I can't really see Rhys going in for it. He doesn't seem like the type-"
"Jack shut up. You are not invited round for a threesome; you are invited round because you need to get out more."
"You're such a bad liar. Ianto's asked you to get me out of the way hasn't he?" Jack smirked.
"Yes. As incredibly arrogant as it was for you to assume that, you are correct. So are you going to play along and come over tonight while he makes the place nice, or whatever it is he wants to do?"
Jack grinned and stood up; he walked over to the windows that separated his office from the rest of the Hub. Ianto was walking around, tidying up the desks, paying careful attention to Tosh's computer, and arranging her files the way they'd always been. Sensing that someone was watching him, he turned and looked up at Jack, a quick smile flitting across his face before turning back and carrying his box of files towards the archives. When the Welshman had disappeared out of sight, Jack turned back to Gwen, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Do you have any idea what Ianto's planning?"
Gwen shrugged and shook her head "No idea, but please just let him, he's been planning it for days."
Jack raised an eyebrow, a smile growing on his face "Well now I'm curious, what time do you want me at yours tonight?"
Gwen sighed, "Come over around 6. That gives me time to get Rhys a bit drunk." Jack grinned and picked his coat up from the stand by the door.
"I'm going out for a drink, I'll see you later." He strode out of his office, calling goodbye to Ianto. As the alarms went off and the door rolled open, Ianto emerged from the tunnel. He looked up at Gwen who was stood by Jack's office window. "Help me" he mouthed.
--
Ianto had been planning his surprise nearly all week, secretly collecting his things in the one place he knew Jack would never go, and somewhere it would not be suspicious for him to go. Deep in the archives, in the section with the records for Torchwood in the early twentieth century, Ianto had hidden his box of Valentines surprises. It comforted him to know that it was him that was doing the surprising. Jack's surprises tended to be rather dangerous. At least he was safe in the knowledge that Jack wouldn't try anything with him this holiday. With all the lovers and partners Jack had had in the past, Ianto thought it unlikely that Jack would indulge in something as cheesy and complicated as Valentines Day. After all, it was only those who really wanted to make the effort with their partner that bothered to do anything at all.
He sighed, he felt bad, forcing Jack on Gwen and Rhys while he perfected his surprise. Gwen seemed more than happy to help, pleased that Ianto was finally going to do something to move this 'thing' with Jack forward, but he could see in her eyes that she had been hoping to have her own romantic evening with Rhys. Oh well, it would only be for a few hours and then he would send out a rift alert, or a Weevil alert or something, and Jack would come racing to the Hub, insisting that Gwen stayed with Rhys. He would come flying through the gates and there Ianto would be, ready for him.
--
Jack strode briskly through the chilly Cardiff evening, the wind biting at his ears. He turned up his collar and quickly ran down the stairs to the nearest bar. It was here, he recalled, that he'd encountered Captain John Hart for the first time in years. He dropped onto a stool at the bar. The bartender, a young fit man in an open necked shirt appeared in front of Jack holding a neat whisky and a glass of water. Jack smiled; this man knew what he liked. Jack downed the whisky in one and set the glass down on the table. He breathed deeply.
Thoughts were racing around in his head. He closed his eyes, trying to create some order in the chaos. It was Valentines Day. It was the one 21st Earth holiday that he had never really got the hang of. The cheap cards, the over-the-top public displays of affection, the petrol station flowers. Oh and the sex, the absolute guaranteed guilt-free sex. Jack had always been quite happy to watch the carryings on from a distance, his faith in the human race restored, even after all that he'd seen them do. To see the absolute love that everyone shared, for just one day a year- for the day where it was okay to be vulnerable, to open up. But Jack had never been a part of it. He had never wanted to be a part of it. The idea of sharing himself with someone else had never appealed to him, until Ianto.
Suddenly Jack found himself falling into entirely new territory, other planets; other universes had nothing on this. Suddenly he found himself smiling whenever this man entered the room. He was distracted, his mind drifting frequently. Ianto Jones had stolen Jack's heart and that frightened him. He was powerless, defenceless against the beautiful Welshman. His com crackled, he tapped it and wasn't surprised to hear Gwen's voice clearly in his ear.
"Jack? Jack where are you?"
Jack chuckled, "Ah it's so good to hear those beautiful welsh vowels again Miss Cooper"
"It's Mrs Williams to you, where are you Jack? You were supposed to be joining me and Rhys for dinner and you're not here, you're not in the Hub-"
"I told you, I'm out having a drink, you and Rhys start without me, and I'll see you later"
"Jack wait-" Jack didn't wait. He switched his com off and shoved it in his pocket. For the second time that night he closed his eyes and took deep breaths. He supposed he should make his way to Gwen's, if not to enjoy himself then to help out Ianto, if Gwen said he'd been planning this for days then he didn't want to be the one to spoil it. He gulped down a mouthful of the water that the bartender had handed him, threw some coins down on the bar and made his way back up the stairs to the street.
If it was possible, it had got even colder in the hour that he'd been in the bar. He looked up; the cloudless sky was bright with stars, twinkling in the distance. Jack stood still, in awe of the many hundreds of planets that he knew circled them. He shivered and watched as his breath formed a frosty cloud in front of his face. He checked the time on his watch, 6.15. He should really be getting to Gwen's. Sighing loudly, Jack began the walk to Gwen's flat.
He arrived at the flat around 20 minutes later and was about to knock on the door when he heard Gwen laughing, Jack smiled; it had been so long since he had heard that laugh. He shook himself, straightened his coat and knocked on the door. He heard heavy footsteps and Rhys pulled open the door. Jack grinned at Rhys' slight scowl and stepped past him into the flat.
"Hey Rhys, the wife home?" He turned and saw Rhys still standing by the open door. "Rhys?" Rhys turned around slowly, a forced smile on his face. Jack raised an eyebrow,
"Yes she is Jack, she's in the bedroom, and she'll be out in a minute. You can wait here." He shut the front door and walked over to the kitchen area, pulling out a glass from a cupboard. "Want a drink?"
Jack shook his head and sat down on the sofa. Rhys shrugged.
"Suit yourself." He took a bottle of red wine out of the fridge and filled the glass in his hand. It was then that Jack heard soft footsteps coming from the bedroom. Gwen appeared, and she looked beautiful. She was wrapped up in a large fluffy jumper and her dark hair fell in loose curls around her shoulders. She immediately went to Rhys' side and he put an arm around her, pulling her closer. Jack felt his face stretch into a smile. Gwen turned and smiled at him, the cute gap in her teeth making her look younger than ever.
"Oi, Jack that's my wife you're ogling there, stop it." Jack snapped out of his reverie and focused on the two of them. Rhys was scowling again and Gwen was giggling silently to herself. Jack smirked,
"Sorry Rhys, but she's looking extra-radiant tonight, I can't keep my eyes off her,"
"If you're gonna keep on like that you can get out, it's enough that I have to put up with you for a few hours of our Valentines evening so if you don't behave I swear to god-"
Gwen placed a hand on Rhys' chest, "Okay Rhys calm down, why don't you get the food ready and finish your drink, love." Rhys nodded and ducked down to plant a kiss on Gwen's lips. She smiled broadly and kissed him back before moving over to where Jack was sat on the sofa.
"How are you Jack, you sounded a bit odd earlier," she sat down next to him on the sofa.
"Who me? I'm fine, just trying to keep my hands off you Mrs Williams,"
"Try harder, if you so much as touch her-" Rhys shouted from the kitchen, he shut up when Gwen shot him a warning look. Jack chuckled,
"I'm sorry Rhys." Rhys grunted in response, clattering bowls and plates around louder than he was before, his face firmly set in a scowl. Jack looked at Gwen apologetically,
"I don't know why I have this effect on him; I'd stop it if I knew what I was doing." Gwen raised her eyebrows and the corner of her mouth twitched into a smile.
"You know bloody well what you're doing Jack Harkness, now stop it. But really, are you okay?"
"I'm fine Gwen, can't wait to find out what Ianto's cooked up, that's all."
"Okay then . . . -" Gwen stood up and went to pour herself a glass of wine. She held it up as if to ask if Jack wanted any but he just smiled and shook his head. Gwen smiled to herself and put the wine back in the fridge. Rhys had finished putting the meal together and was taking a large gulp from his glass. Gwen stood by the fridge, eyebrow raised, watching her husband finish off his wine. She giggled. Jack stood up and rubbed his hands together.
"Right then, time for a lovely Valentines dinner!"
--
So how was it? Let me know if you loved it, hated it, think I should be locked up and burnt at the stake?
Chapter 2 is on its waaaaaaaay (:
