It was Friday, and Ianto couldn't really tell if he was happy that he would finally be able to rest a little, or too tense to even think. It had been a really hard week, too many lectures, too many rehearsals, too many shifts, too many demands. He really did want to relax, though, needed to, so he decided to do the only thing he possibly could in such situation. He closed the door to the coffee shop (he was too distracted to notice that he forgot to lock the door) and he put on his favourite 'let it all out' song.
The first words of 'I will survive' started playing, and he immediately felt the stress start leaving his body. This song never failed to do that to him, and it was an automatic response to start singing and dancing to it. He started doing so as he finished cleaning the shop, so he could finally close up and go home.
He was completely engrossed in the dance, sweeping while moving his hips, singing maybe a little too loud, and he never noticed the man that deliberately ignored the 'closed' sign and entered the shop. The man stood there for a while, silently observing, an amused grin on his face.
Ianto suddenly turned around, totally lost in his enjoyment, when he saw the man standing there. Now he was petrified. He blushed furiously, red from the tip of his ears to his collar bone. He was stunned, trying to say something, anything, but no words would come out.
The man just stood there, the amused grin still plastered over his face, eyes twinkling with glee. "Ianto Jones, isn't it?" The man asked. Ianto was even more stunned. How that was even possible he didn't know. Of course Ianto knew who the man before him was, everyone on the entire campus knew, but how could he possibly know who Ianto was? Ianto was a complete nobody, a ghost, invisible. He truly believed that even most of his classmates didn't know his name.
"Uh... I... Uh... Yeah, th-that's me." Ianto finally found his voice. Sort of. "How do you-"
The man ignored Ianto's question. "Didn't know you worked here." Ridiculous grin still on his face. Ianto didn't know what was bothering him the most. That he couldn't tell if that grin was the man mocking him, or the fact that it made him look incredibly attractive.
"I... Uh... Yeah...I do."
"Y'know, you were a whole lot more eloquent when you were singing before."
A meteor crushing him to the ground right about now would be nice.
"Uh... You... You're not supposed... We're closed, you know?" Well, at least he'd said something.
"The door was unlocked. And I'm not the kind of man who believes in respecting signs or things like that."
Didn't Ianto know. Jack Harkness had a reputation across campus. Everyone had an opinion about him, good or bad. Many times he was the obnoxious bastard with no respect for rules, figures of authority and many times even people in general. Lots of other times, too many times, Ianto thought, if he was willing to maintain his respect over his own species, people would fall under his charms, and to them he was someone to be adored and fawned over. Ianto himself thought him shallow and annoying. Ianto was a man who lived by rules, needed them to function, and someone who couldn't respect them couldn't be respected by him. People like that only created chaos and confusion, and Ianto didn't like any of that.
Of course he'd never really talked to the man, this was all hearsay. Which made it even more unbelievable that the thoroughly noticeable Jack Harkness knew who Ianto was.
"Anyway," Jack continued. "Yours was the only shop with its lights still own, and I was hoping I could get a last cup of coffee before I head home."
"There's a reason for that, you know? It's closing time all around."
"Pleeease?" Was the man actually pouting?
"Fine, I'll make you the coffee if it will get you to leave. Lucky I hadn't cleaned the machine yet."
"Aww, am I bothering you that much?" Jack leaned over the counter making puppy dog eyes. "That would be such a shame since I like you so much."
"No, Jack, you're not bothering me." Ianto turned to hide his blush and start the coffee, trying to ignore what was happening in his stomach, something he hadn't felt in a really long time. "I just want to close up and go home." Now he knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of Jack's charm. And he was trying really, really hard to pretend he wasn't enjoying it.
"Here you go." Ianto handed Jack the coffee. "Good night, Jack."
Jack ignored Ianto's attempt to make him leave, and took a tentative sip of the hot liquid in his hands. "Hmm, this is good." Jack said with a look of pure bliss on his face. "I might have to come back here again." He started to turn to leave, and looked over his shoulder. "Among other reasons." He winked at Ianto and left, his long coat billowing behind him.
And come back he did. Every day, around closing time – but not waiting until the shop was empty – for the next two weeks. Ianto noticed that Jack always looked inside before coming in, making sure that Ianto was working that day. Then he made sure that Ianto would be the one to take his order.
As soon as Jack got close to Ianto, Jack would start whispering the words to 'I will survive'. Ianto always blushed, and gave an exasperated sigh. As the days passed, the blush got lighter, but the exasperation got worse and worse.
"Honestly, Jack, you have got to stop that!" Ianto hissed, as quietly as possible hoping his co-workers wouldn't hear him.
"But I'm having so much fun." Jack gave him a mischievous grin.
"I don't care. This is my job. You can go have your fun elsewhere."
"Any suggestions?" Now the grin turned into a leer.
"Anywhere else would be better. Just stop coming here, please."
"Are you really asking a customer to stop buying at your shop?"
"It's not my shop, and yes, I am."
"Oh, Ianto, I couldn't do that. This shop has the best coffee in town. And I wouldn't want to be responsible for any decrease in sales."
"God, you're infuriating." Ianto was practically fuming by now. "Please, just tell me, what can I do to make you stop this?"
"Go out on a date with me." Jack asked, suddenly serious.
Ianto did a double take. "Wh-What?"
"Go out on a date with me." Jack repeated, amused grin returning to his face.
"I'm sorry, it sounded like you were asking me out."
"I am."
"Wh-Why?"
"Well, because I like you. That's what people usually do when they're interested in someone, they ask them out."
"That's why you keep coming here?!" Ianto was perplexed.
"Yup."
"Couldn't you just have asked from the start?"
"Yeah, I could've, but torturing you has been so much fun. Plus, I needed the black mail. There was always the risk that you'd say no. Now, we couldn't have that, could we?"
"I... I..." Ianto was at a complete loss for words. It was really hard to tell if it was because he couldn't believe that this was the reason Jack had been bothering him for so long, or because Jack had gone through so much trouble just to go on a date with him.
"Come on, Ianto, just one word, yes or no. You can even just nod, if it'll make it easier for you." Jack had that irritating smug smile on his face again.
Ianto groaned. "Fine. I'll go. Just please, Stop. Coming. Here!"
xXxXx
They met in front of the restaurant. Jack had offered to pick Ianto up, but that would be just way too much, so Ianto declined. It was a very, very posh restaurant, and Ianto felt almost uncomfortable. He wouldn't be seen in a place like this in a million years, mostly because he would need the wage of about six months to be able to afford a meal there.
"You really go all out when you take someone out, don't you?" Ianto said, whilst they were led to their table, vaguely wondering how Jack could afford going to a place like this so often.
"Nope, I only do that for the people who matter."
"And I bet you say that to everyone." Ianto was laughing now. For someone who was so renowned on the art of flirting, he would've expected better lines from Jack.
"Nope, only you."
Ianto glanced up at Jack now, expecting to see the usual flirtatious grin. But the man was dead serious. He found it really hard to believe that Jack had meant it, but there were no signs whatsoever that showed that he didn't. And then Ianto didn't know what to say any more. He also couldn't stop the small fluttering in his stomach.
They sat down, and Ianto couldn't keep the dubious look from his face. He was staring at Jack, trying to figure out what the other man was playing at. If Jack noticed, he never showed it.
"Can I ask you something?" Ianto finally said.
"Yes."
"How did you know my name?"
Jack half-smiled. "I've noticed you."
"No one notices me." Ianto dead panned.
"Well, I have. There's something about you, Ianto Jones."
Ianto scoffed.
"What?" Jack asked.
"I just don't understand. You could have pretty much anyone you wanted. Why are you wasting so much time on me?"
"Oh, I'd never consider getting you to go out with me a waste of time." Ianto looked incredulous. "Besides, everyone else is boring. You're not. You're interesting. Intriguing, even."
"You flirt with everyone."
"Ah, well, that's just having a bit of fun, a way to pass the time. To be honest, most of the time I have no intention of taking the flirting any further."
"Huh."
"You don't believe me."
"Not really, no."
"It's just a façade, you see. I'm not that different from you. You hide behind your mask, trying to fade into the background. I just do the opposite. I make people think that the flirting is all I am, and no one pays attention to what's underneath. I like it better that way."
"Why?"
"You tell me."
"I'm... I'm just a private person."
"So am I." Jack looked at Ianto. "I wouldn't mind sharing a bit of myself with you, though." The flirtatious grin was back, but it was a bit smaller now, softer.
"And what makes me deserving of such honour?" Ianto half-mocked, still not sure if he believed anything Jack was saying.
"You're special."
"There's absolutely nothing special about me." Now he had a self-deprecating look on his face.
"Oh, that's so not true. You're very special." Jack kept his eyes on Ianto, thoughtful. "I think you've hidden behind your mask for so long that even you forgot that there's something behind it. But I can see it. I can see it in your eyes."
"What?"
"The cleverness, the passion, the sensitivity. It's pretty clear, actually, if one's willing to look for it."
"Why did you?"
"Dunno. Chance, I guess." Ianto had a questioning look on his face. "I saw you near campus one day. I was bored, so I went to the Gardens, and I noticed you reading a book. I had nothing better to do, so I kept looking. Well, that and also the fact that you're pretty good-looking." Jack winked and Ianto blushed and looked down, embarrassed. "It didn't take two minutes for me to become completely fascinated. I had no idea what you were reading, but there was so much emotion in your eyes. They moved so quickly over the page, and I saw everything from delight, to humour and heartbreak. I thought I was having a lot more fun watching you than I would if I were reading the book myself."
"That still doesn't explain how you knew my name." Ianto was getting uncomfortable by now. If it was because of how much Jack had watched him, or all the nice things he was saying, he couldn't tell.
Jack laughed. "Don't worry, I didn't start stalking you or anything. I just saw you on campus one day, and figured out that you went there. Then I just noticed every time you were around. One day I heard someone calling you. I didn't even know where you worked, remember?"
"True..." Ianto still wasn't quite sure how he was feeling about all this.
"Great, now that all this is out of the way, and we've established that as much as I've noticed, I don't, in fact, know anything about you, it's time to start sharing."
"Okay. I suppose I'm here anyway, so why not."
"So tell me, what should I know about you, aside from the fact that you have a very dubious taste in music."
"I... It's just..." Ianto tried, completely flustered. "I'll have you know, I have excellent taste in music." He tried to recover. "That song is just a great one to sing and dance to, when I need to blow off some steam."
"Oh, yeah, I could see that." Jack smirked.
"Don't tell me you don't have any guilty pleasures."
Now it was Jack's turn to look flustered. "I..."
"Oh, come on, you know mine. Well, you saw mine. It's only fair that you tell me yours."
Jack looked as if he was at a loss, but clearly Ianto had a point. "Fine. I... I like cartoons. The old ones, like Tom and Jerry, and Bugs Bunny... I have to watch a few every Saturday morning." He looked at Ianto through his eyelashes, completely embarrassed.
"That's not so bad."
"You really think so?" Jack looked up, a bit hopeful.
"Yeah." Ianto said encouragingly. "Just... Don't tell anyone else." Now Ianto smirked, amused.
Jack sighed. "Fine, mock me all you want. I guess I deserve it."
"Yes. Yes, you do." Ianto held a thoughtful look on his face. "I have half a mind to play the intro to all these cartoons whenever I see you in public." He still looked thoroughly amused.
"Oh, please don't do that." Jack pleaded.
"No, I wouldn't. We shared our secrets, and no one else has to know about them. It's a truce."
"Fair enough." Jack finally smiled, relaxing again. "Anyway," He said, trying to change the subject. "You said you have excellent in music. What do you like?"
"Well, maybe it was a bit conceited of me to say that. Taste is subjective and all." Ianto looked at Jack, wary of saying what would come next, considering if he really wanted to share that. "I... Well, I play in the University Orchestra."
"Do you now?" Jack straightened up in his chair, suddenly very interested. "What do you play?"
"The violoncello." Ianto said, waiting to see what Jack's reaction would be.
"Interesting." Jack emphasized the word, looking intently at Ianto. "Very sexy, too." He added, twinkle back in his eyes. Ianto blushed again. "So, when can I see you play?"
"What?!"
"I want to see you play."
"But... But, why?"
"Why wouldn't I? I'm sure you're an amazing player. I want to watch."
"Come on, wasn't you seeing me sing and dance embarrassing enough already?"
"Two completely different things."
"How so?"
"This is something you'll actually be good at."
"Ouch. Low blow."
"No, I'm just teasing you. If I'm entirely honest, I quite liked seeing you that day. It was nice seeing the mask completely off. You looked even more beautiful, and I didn't think that was possible."
Ianto just looked at Jack, a bit frustrated. "Why do you keep saying things like that? It's like you're talking about someone else entirely."
"Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it's not true." Jack stared at him intently. "What I'd really like to know is why you have such a low opinion of yourself."
"I... I don't know. I guess I just never think about myself that way. I'm simple, common. It's never been something I'd worry about, no one is looking anyway. And I don't really mind."
"I'm looking."
"Yeah, apparently you are."
"Does it bother you?"
"I'm honestly not sure."
"Well, get used to it. I don't plan on stopping. Especially considering that the more I see, the more I like you." Ianto just looked at him. "Now, back on topic. When can I see you play?"
"You're not gonna let it go, are you?"
"Nope."
"Fine. I'd better just let you before you start singing to me at work again."
Jack laughed. "Now, that's more like it."
xXxXx
Jack was moved. There was no other word for it. If he'd been fascinated watching Ianto read, this, this... It was beyond words. The way his delicate fingers moved on the strings, the gentleness with which he moved the bow. And the exquisite sounds that he produced. Jack could honestly say that he'd never heard anything like it. Jack always knew there was something special about the other man, but even he hadn't expected that much.
How Ianto could considerer himself 'common' when he was the First Cellist of the Orchestra was beyond him. But maybe it was just that what Jack had assumed was low self-esteem had just been plain humbleness. Which, in all honesty, just made Ianto even more special.
"I was honestly surprised to see that you'd let me come to watch you play chamber music. It's so intimate." Jack said from the column he'd been leaning on, waiting for Ianto to leave the church were he'd performed.
"Didn't really have much of a choice. The only performance with the whole Orchestra is two months from now. I assumed you wouldn't wait that long, and would just start harassing me again." If Ianto was surprised to see Jack there, he hid it well. But then again, he was an expert in hiding his emotions.
"You assumed right." Jack laughed. "Although I think it's hardly fair to call what I did before harassment."
"Oh, yeah? What would you call it?"
"Persistence. Determination. Knowing what you want and going for it."
Ianto laughed. "Sure, Jack. Keep telling yourself that."
Jack moved closer to Ianto now. "I have to say, I was deeply impressed. I mean, I expected you to be good, I just never thought you'd be that good."
Ianto blushed and lowered his head. "Thanks, I guess." He mumbled, hardly audible.
"Where are you headed now?" Jack asked, moving even closer.
"Home? Where else would I go? It's kinda late."
"Oh, it's not that late."
Ianto just raised an eyebrow, sensing that something else was coming.
"I'd like to take you somewhere. Every artist deserves some sort of celebration after a good performance."
"I have a really long day tomorrow."
"One hour?"
Ianto looked at Jack, thoughtful. "Fine. One hour." Ianto feigned reluctance. In fact, he was quite flattered that Jack had waited for him to leave, and still wanted to spend more time with him. For everything Jack had told him when they'd gone out the first time, Ianto still couldn't help but think that it was all some kind of joke, or maybe Jack trying to win a dare or something. Ianto supposed it still could be the case, but he found himself wishing more and more that Jack was being sincere.
They walked to Ianto's favourite pub, which wasn't far from where they were. They talked all the way there, mostly about the performance and music, and Ianto was quite surprised to learn that Jack actually knew his way around the subject. He wasn't a profound connoisseur, but he knew some names, some pieces, even had a few favourites. Talk about just seeing someone's façade.
The pub wasn't crowded, and they found a table in a quiet corner. The conversation flowed freely between them, and after an hour, Ianto found himself very disappointed that he really did have to go. Ianto thought he saw disappointment in Jack's eyes, too, and wondered if he was just seeing what he wanted.
"Can I walk you home?" Jack asked when they left the pub.
"Yeah, sure."
It was hard to tell if they noticed that this time they were walking closer to each other. Shoulders brushing every now and then, hands almost touching. What was easily noticeable is that neither one seemed inclined to change that.
They got to Ianto's front door, and Jack looked extremely reluctant to leave. He took Ianto's hand in his, and held it lightly, rubbing his thumb over Ianto's knuckles. He gazed into Ianto's eyes, seemingly trying to decide what to do next. Finally he leaned in, and kissed Ianto on the cheek, lingering a little.
"I had a really good time tonight. From beginning to end." Jack said when he pulled back.
"Yeah, me, too."
Jack lingered there for a while longer, until he started moving to leave. "Good night, Ianto."
"Good night, Jack."
Jack was half way across the parking lot when Ianto called him back.
"Jack?"
"Yeah?" Jack turned back to look at Ianto.
"Are you serious about this?"
Jack stood there for a while, with a mixture of sadness and hope in his eyes, but certainly not deceit. "I'm as serious as you want me to be."
Ianto nodded. "Okay." He paused for a while. "That's good to know." A small smile started to spread across Ianto's face, although he tried to hide it. "Good night."
Jack had a half-smile of his own. "Night."
xXxXx
"Ianto Jones. Just the man I wanted to see." Jack said, sitting beside Ianto on the bench.
"Jesus Christ, Jack, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" Ianto exclaimed, looking up from the book he was reading.
"Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to sneak up on you." Jack looked sheepish.
"It's okay." Ianto said, feeling a bit sorry for Jack. "What did you want?"
"Huh?"
"You said you wanted to see me?"
"Oh, right. No, I meant I literally wanted to see you. It's been a while."
"You saw me last week."
"And I've missed you since then." Jack smiled, almost shyly.
Ianto looked down, blushing a little, not knowing what to say. "Oh."
"Anyway, we never set up a third date, and I think this should be rectified."
"Okay..."
"Why are you always so suspicious of me? I'm not playing you, you know? I swear."
"It's just..."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Hard to accept that I'm actually interested in you. Well, I am. Get over it." Jack said with a no-nonsense tone. "Now, date. What do you say?"
"Sure." Ianto replied, not able to hide the smile. It was getting harder and harder to doubt Jack, and he was quite happy about it. "What do you want to do?"
"A movie, maybe? Or a play?"
"Why not? Anything in particular you want to see?"
"No. It's about the company, not the activity." Jack winked. "Why don't you choose something and let me know?"
"O-okay." Ianto replied, still flustered every time Jack paid him some sort of compliment. "Why don't I text you with the details? Is Friday okay?"
"Friday is perfect." Jack was beaming. "Good to see you, Ianto." Jack left, after giving Ianto a quick peck on the cheek, and leaving Ianto wishing for more.
xXxXx
They met in front of the cinema. Ianto still wouldn't let Jack pick him up, even though he'd offered again. Ianto had chosen a silly comedy, thinking that it would at least keep things light. He couldn't help but notice that the flutter in his stomach got more and more intense every time he saw Jack. He idly wondered how Jack was feeling.
About half way through the film, Jack's hand brushed Ianto's. Ianto instinctively reacted and started entwining their fingers. He was about to pull back, completely embarrassed by what he'd done, when Jack finished the action and squeezed Ianto's hand. Ianto relaxed and tensed, all at the same time. He hoped Jack couldn't tell how much his palms were sweating, and how nervous he was.
They held hands until the film ended, every now and then one or the other brushing their thumbs over the other one's knuckles. They left the theatre, and Jack offered to walk Ianto home again. This Ianto accepted. As soon as they started walking towards Ianto's flat, Jack reached for his hand again. They talked quietly during the walk, a bit about the film (even though it seemed like neither of them remembered much, both too distracted to pay much attention), a bit about Uni, and very soon they were at the front door of Ianto's building. They turned around to face each other, still holding hands. Jack gazed intently into Ianto's eyes, again it seemed like he was trying to decide what to do.
"Good night, Ianto" Jack said after a while, preparing to leave.
"It's okay to kiss me, you know." Ianto said, holding on to Jack's hand, not letting him move away.
Jack looked down, half-laughing, in an unusually shy moment. He moved back towards Ianto, facing him. He ran a hand through Ianto's hair, and pulled him close. They both leaned in at the same time, lips touching softly. Soon, both of them started gaining confidence, and the kiss got deeper. They unlinked their hands, so Jack could bring his to the back of Ianto's neck, where it met the one that was previously in Ianto's hair. Ianto brought both his hands to Jack's waist, bringing him a little bit closer. They both opened their mouths at the same time, and then tongues were brushing, and they were thoroughly tasting each other, getting lost in the feeling of each other. It took them several moments to pull apart, leaning their foreheads against one another.
"Jack?" Ianto asked, a bit out of breath.
"Yeah?" Jack replied, also breathing hard.
"Did you mean what you said last time?"
"About being serious about this?"
"Yeah."
"Hmhm." Jack brushed his thumbs over Ianto's cheeks. "I've been trying to tell you from the start, Ianto. You matter to me."
"Okay." Ianto swallowed hard, trying to contain his nerves. " Do you want to come inside, then?"
Jack pulled away to look into Ianto's eyes, hope flowing out of his. "Really?"
"Yeah."
Jack broke into a face splitting grin. "I'd love to."
"Can I get you anything?" Ianto asked, as soon as they entered his flat, collecting their coats and hanging them close to the door.
"Yeah." Jack said. "You." He added, pulling Ianto close by the waist, and kissing him again.
Ianto was surprised at first, but soon wrapped his arms around Jack's shoulders and intensified the kiss. Jack pulled Ianto close, and they lost track of time, both fully immersed in the kiss.
Jack was trying really hard to keep his control. He'd waited so long to have Ianto in his arms, and it was hard not to push for things to go further. He would wait, though, as long as it took. He wouldn't do anything to risk the still flimsy relationship he had with Ianto.
What Jack had said to Ianto was the absolute truth. The first time Jack noticed him, he was already hooked. He'd never done anything about it, but the other man had already made an impression on him. Seeing Ianto dancing and singing that night, so carefree, mask completely forgotten, was all Jack needed to push him into pursuing Ianto. Jack was careful, though. All the other times he flirted, the few times he wouldn't mind going further, a negative reply wouldn't mean anything. It wouldn't hurt. He would just move on and be fine with it. It would absolutely not be the same with Ianto. He wanted the 'yes'. He wanted the chance to be with Ianto. So he took his time. He waited until he was certain Ianto would agree to go out with him. And when he did agree, Jack went all out. Jack wanted to woo him, prove that he was not the person everyone else thought he was. He wanted Ianto to see him, no façade, no mask.
Watching Ianto play was what did it. Before, Jack knew Ianto was special, he knew he didn't want to miss the opportunity to get to know Ianto better, but he didn't know much else. Jack knew that anything could happen. But after the concert... That's when he started falling for Ianto. Then the idea of losing Ianto became unacceptable. And Jack would do anything to keep that from happening.
That's why he felt the need to be extra careful. He knew Ianto still had his doubts about him – not that Jack could blame him – and he wanted to prove Ianto wrong, no matter what it took. So now he was trying to take it slow, let Ianto control how much further it would go. Ianto set the rules, and Jack would abide by them.
Jack pulled apart from the kiss, around the time when Ianto, being so close to him, so warm, so inviting, started driving Jack out of his mind. He just wanted to touch, let his hands wander all over Ianto's body, feel, caress, kiss every part of him.
"We don't have to do anything if you don't want to, okay?" Jack said, taking a slow, deep breath. "We can just kiss if you want."
Ianto just stared at him, looking completely dazed. It took him a while to reply, he was trying to think through the hazy fog that was clouding his brain.
"Ummm... I... I'll... I'll think later. Just don't stop kissing me."
Ianto leaned in for another kiss, pulled Jack closer, and pressed his body against Jack's. Jack instinctively reacted, holding Ianto closer. The feel of their bodies touching, their erections brushing against one another through their trousers... It was all Jack could do not to throw the other man on the couch and have his way with him.
As hard as Jack was trying it didn't take too long for him to realise that he wouldn't be able to take much more before he lost his mind completely. Then it was Ianto who pulled apart.
"Jack..." Ianto said, breathing hard, rapidly. "Take me to bed."
Jack was certain he'd died and gone to heaven. He took a step back, looked Ianto in the eyes, took his hand and started leading him towards the bedroom.
"Anything you want, Ianto."
Jack was lying on top of Ianto, both of them sweaty, breathless, sated and exhausted. He had his head buried in the crook of Ianto's neck, kissing him softly. He lifted his head, just enough to be able to see Ianto.
"See, that's the passion I was talking about." Jack said, placing sloppy kisses all over Ianto's cheek.
Ianto laughed. "I think I might have hurt you a bit." He said, remembering how he had dug his nails into Jack's back during the more intense moments.
"Totally worth it." Jack replied, huge smile on his face, kissing Ianto on the lips now.
After a while, Ianto pulled back. "We need to get cleaned up." He said, nudging Jack so he'd roll off of him. Ianto came back shortly after with a wet cloth. Jack was lying on his side, a look of complete bliss on his face. Ianto cleaned Jack up, and lay beside him, facing him. They stared at each other for a long time, while they slowly reached their hands out so they could keep the contact between them.
"Do you want me to go?" Jack asked, trying not to show how desperately he wanted to stay.
"No. Unless you want to." Ianto told him, just a hint of the same desperation in his eyes.
"I don't want to go." Jack replied, not able to hide his smile, pulling Ianto closer by his waist. They started kissing, slowly, leisurely, as if they were the only two people on the planet and nothing else mattered. Ianto was stroking Jack's sweaty hair, and Jack was stroking Ianto's back.
After what seemed like an eternity, they pulled apart, and just looked at each other. They started talking quietly, both completely comfortable in the other's presence, completely relaxed. They talked for hours, neither of them ready to be separated by sleep. It was the middle of the night (or morning, depending on how one looked at it), when their eyes started closing, and they snuggled closer together and finally allowed themselves to drift into sleep.
They woke up a few hours later, both of them hard, and neither willing to miss the opportunity to have a bit more fun together. Jack jerked Ianto off, and Ianto immediately returned the favour by blowing Jack. When he was done, he climbed back on top of Jack, a fond, intimate smile on his face.
"Morning." Ianto said, eyes glistening.
"Morning." Jack replied, eyes still a bit glazed, wearing a satisfied, blissful smile.
Ianto started kissing Jack, and Jack immediately placed one hand on Ianto's neck and the other on his back, pulling him as close as possible. They shared an intense, passionate kiss, that lasted minutes. Ianto pulled back a little, nipping on Jack's lower lip, unable to contain a small, amused laugh.
"Jack, if we don't stop we'll never get out of bed." He mock-reprimanded Jack.
"Do we have to?"
"Yes, we do." He nipped on Jack's lip again, and again. "For... some reason."
"What if I don't want to?" Jack rolled them over, until he was on top of Ianto, proceeding to nip and lick Ianto's neck and shoulder.
"Hmmmm." Was all Ianto could say, completely forgetting what they were talking about. So they stayed in bed for a few more hours, until they were too hungry to remain there.
They went out, to have brunch at a nice little place Ianto knew not far from his flat. They walked there, hand in hand. If they'd stopped to notice, they'd realise that since they left the cinema the night before, they had barely stopped touching. That didn't change while they ate. They were constantly brushing fingers, stroking faces, pressing legs together, kissing briefly. If they were in a cartoon, there would be hearts where their irises should be.
When they left, Jack said he should go home, but he wanted to walk Ianto back to his flat. They reached the front door and started kissing goodbye, only stopping about five minutes later. Jack turned to leave, but Ianto called him back.
"Jack?"
"What?" He turned back to look at Ianto.
"Um... never mind, it's nothing."
"What is it?" Jack said, moving closer to Ianto.
"Do you... Do you have to go home?"
Jack's grin could have blinded someone. "No. Not really. I just thought you might be getting tired of me."
"I'm not." Ianto said looking down, playing with Jack's fingers. "Quite the contrary." He added quietly.
"Then I'll stay." He was still smiling widely. "I might need a change of clothes, though."
"I don't think you need clothes at all." Ianto finally looked up, a smile that could have melted glaciers on his face.
After that, they started spending every weekend together. Then it was a few nights during the week. When they started spending most nights together, Jack gave in and asked Ianto to move in with him. Ianto didn't even wait for Jack to finish the question before agreeing.
Jack decided to propose on their first anniversary. He took Ianto to the same restaurant they'd gone to on their first date. He'd tried to prepare a speech and everything, but he fumbled all through it. His tongue seemed to weigh a tonne inside his mouth, and he was trembling so much he could barely move. Ianto didn't care. He only heard 'will you marry me?', and nothing else mattered.
They decided to wait until after they graduated to do it. They wanted to save money and have enough free time to have a very long, special honeymoon. They barely made it, because right before graduation, Ianto was invited to join The Academy of St Martin in the Fields Orchestra. But that worked out fine, because soon Jack assumed the leading position on the UK branch of his dad's company, so they moved to London.
They missed each other a lot when Ianto went on tour, but Jack always said that it only made it more special when they saw each other again. Jack also worked a lot, his position took a lot out of him, but they learned to enjoy their time together and always make the most of it.
On their first wedding anniversary, they actually bothered going all the way back to Cardiff, just so they could go to the restaurant that had started it all. They were romantic like that. They would have to spend the night, so they decided to make a whole weekend out of it, and went to the most luxurious hotel in the city. They both deserved it, after all.
On the first night, after dinner, they went to the hotel, and Jack somehow found a way to get them on to the roof. Luckily, it was a clear night, and they could see some of the stars, even with all the lights below. They had an unbelievably beautiful view of the bay, and both of them stood there for a long while, holding each other, admiring the spectacle and enjoying the moment. After several moments, Ianto broke the silence.
"Thank you, Jack." He said in a low, sweet voice.
"For what?" Jack said, pulling back a little, to look at Ianto.
"For bringing me here, for deciding to spend your life with me, for seeing in me what nobody else saw, for showing me what even I couldn't see..."
Jack brushed his fingers down Ianto's cheek, softly, eyes full of love, and sighed. "I should be the one thanking you, Ianto."
Ianto laughed. "Why?"
"For existing, and making me happier than I ever thought I could be."
Ianto smiled, that soft, warm smile of his that melted Jack's insides, and made him feel like the luckiest man in the world, knowing only he got to see it. Ianto kissed Jack softly, making him 'hmmm' in pleasure. "I love you so much, Jack." Ianto whispered, breath mingling with Jack's.
"I love you, too, Ianto. So much it hurts." Jack ran his fingers through Ianto's hair, and kissed him briefly. "Now, if I'm not mistaken, there's a bed waiting for us downstairs."
Ianto smiled broadly. "I believe you're right, Mr Harkness. And I think it's feeling quite neglected at the moment."
"Oh, we can't have that. What do you say we go there and make it feel useful?"
"I say that's a brilliant idea. I say we should make it feel very, very useful all night." Ianto's voice was dripping with desire and innuendo.
A mischievous smile formed on both their faces, and they left the roof, holding hands, almost running towards their room.
A/N: Based on the prompt "walked into 24 hour coffee shop at 3am and found the barista all alone and passionately dancing to Taylor Swift" au, by tumblr user romanifeuilly. I obviously changed it quite a bit, but still felt the owner deserved credit.
Thanks for reading, and leave a review if you feel like it's worth it. I'm pretty terrible at replying, but I truly appreciate every single one of them.