Notes: This is the first thing I ever wrote – not the first fanfic, but my first fiction ever, not counting school assignments. I'm sure my writing has since improved. However, this piece is like a first-born child – you know, the one you made all your mistakes on, but secretly love the best.
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all recognizable characters are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.
Pockets
"If you're interested, I've still got that stopwatch."
It took him longer than usual to comprehend the meaning of the words. Clearly, a proposition of some sort. But for what? Captain Jack Harkness pondered this new development as he bustled through the Hub, encouraging – well, ordering, really – his team to go home.
It had been a long, emotionally draining couple of days for Torchwood Three, and it didn't take much to get them out the door. Gwen went straight home to Rhys, while Owen and Tosh planned to stop off for drinks. They invited Ianto to come with them – these days, they always made sure to include him – but he passed them off with vague assurances that he'd try to catch up to them later.
There had always been some level of attraction between Ianto and Jack, sexual tension lurking just under the surface. But then, that was nothing new to Jack. It could have been the 51st century pheromones, his strikingly handsome jaw line, or the 180-odd years of experience with lovers of all kinds that made him an automatic turn-on . But truly, it was a gift he had been given, the ability to make people feel special, loved, or accepted, that drew everyone to him – women and men, humans and aliens, friends and lovers.
Ianto Jones was no different from anyone else. At work, anyway, around the others, he returned Jack's flirty banter with his own witty one-liners. But when it was just the two of them, Ianto was all business. Cool, efficient, capable. Always ready with coffee, directions, or Jack's coat – but never for a moment letting his guard down. Which made the stopwatch comment even more intriguing – and unexpected.
It hadn't always been that way, Jack thought, as he remembered the night he had given in to Ianto Jones' persistence and offered him the job with Torchwood. While capturing a Pteranodon, Jack had landed on Ianto and the two went rolling out of the way of the drugged beast. Laughing, they ended with Ianto on top, their faces and lips mere centimeters apart, breath mingling in the frosty night air. The heat between them was palpable, unmistakable. After a moment – a brief but significant moment – Ianto jumped up and left as if he couldn't get away fast enough. But Jack wasn't mistaken that the feeling was mutual; he wryly recalled that, as Ianto lay on top of him, the evidence of the young man's desire grew firmly between them.
Months later, on one horrible day, Jack had dragged Ianto, unconscious and sopping wet, out of the shallow water of the tower pool and revived him with a kiss. A kiss which Ianto would later deny with his words, though his guilty eyes were as good as an admission.
All these thoughts turned over in Jack's mind as he made his way to his office. While he waited for Owen, Toshiko, and Gwen to exit the building, he poured a couple drinks. Ianto was quickly running through the evening shut-down procedures for the Torchwood Hub. Jack decided his best option was to follow Ianto's lead. Although he could be outgoing, even aggressive when flirting with and romancing potential partners, when it came right down to it he preferred to let his lovers find their way to him in their own time.
"Think about it, lots of things you can do with a stopwatch."
Jack could think of lots of things, but most were of a decidedly kinky nature. In the months they had worked together, Ianto seemed determined to deny the obvious attraction between the two of them, but perhaps something had changed. Or maybe Ianto was just looking for some companionship, a bit of innocent fun to distract his boss from the day's grim events. Jack sure hoped not.
When precisely nine minutes and fifty-eight seconds had passed, Ianto stepped in to Jack's office. He accepted the offered drink without a word. As they downed their vodka & sodas, Jack noted that the stopwatch was nowhere to be seen. Maybe it was time to get things started.
"So, Ianto, you've got the stopwatch?
"Oh, I, uh, put it in my pocket." Ianto smiled slyly.
"Hm. Ok. Where?" asked Jack, eying Ianto's buttoned-up three-piece suit.
"Actually, I really can't recall at the moment which pocket I put it in." said Ianto in a voice that seemed incongruous. Obviously, Ianto knew exactly where the stopwatch was. "Let's see. Shirt, waistcoat, trousers, jacket. That's, uh, sixteen pockets in all. Could be anywhere."
Jack's face broke out into a rakish grin. "Oh yeah? Maybe I could help you find it?". This was going to be interesting.
"I was rather hoping." Ianto replied. He leaned lightly back against Jack's desk, his hands griping the oval edge on either side expectantly. Jack closed the distance between them in a couple steps, then stopped. Not too close. Not yet. He let his eyes run down the length of Ianto's body, appraising his trim yet muscular frame. Jack was certain he could find the hidden item in under six seconds. Fewer if Ianto had put it someplace obvious. But no, he should draw this out as long as possible.
Jack put his hands on Ianto's shoulders, ran his hands over his chest. Two fingers in the left breast pocket. One. Two hands in the waist pockets. Two. Three. One finger in the ticket pocket, right side. Four.
Jack unbuttoned the suit coat. He ran his hands along the inside pockets, first right then left, not opening the lapels very far, so that the back of his hand skimmed Ianto's chest. Even with several layers of fabric between them, the touch was surprisingly intimate. Five. Six.
Jack's hands went up and worked the jacket off. Ianto made no objection, and shrugged his shoulders a bit. Jack had a sudden, delightful mental image of Ianto's clothing in a pile on Jack's office floor. Both their clothes in a pile on the floor. A trail of clothes, leading from the office to Jack's sleeping quarters. He drew a deep breath. Maybe another time, but Ianto could be a bit fussy about his suits and wouldn't appreciate his jacket getting all mussed. Jack headed for his coat rack and located a hanger.
Next the waistcoat. Not much of a challenge. Two breast pockets. Seven. Eight. Two waist pockets. Nine. Ten. Vest unbuttoned and laid aside.
"You enjoying this, Jack?"
"Very much so. Are you going to help, or just stand there and let me do all the work?"
Ianto reached for his tie, loosened it, and unbuttoned his top shirt button. Another couple motions and the tie was off. Jack's mouth quirked as he thought of all the things he'd like to do with that tie. He checked the small, thin dress shirt pocket for stopwatches (Eleven), and reached up to unbutton the rest of the shirt.
Then, Ianto's hands were on Jack's shoulders, slipping his braces down. His hands continued down Jack's back, to his waist, drawing Jack closely towards him. At once, their lips met. Passionately, they came together. Lips and tongue and mingled saliva, open mouths without hesitation. Eventually, the kissing became less urgent, more tender. Ianto sighed, closed his eyes, and rested his head on Jack's shoulder.
"Oh, Jack. You don't know how long I've wanted this."
"I do, actually, if it's been as long as I've been wanting you. Pretty much from the first time we met. I had nearly given up, though. What took you so long?"
"For a long while, after Lisa…" Ianto began uncomfortably, "it was all I could do to wake up every morning and drag myself out of bed. I know it looked like I could function, even that I was getting over it, but the pain, it was constant. Like rats in my stomach, gnawing away at my insides. … I couldn't fathom being with anyone else but her for the longest time. Somehow you were always at the back of my mind, but I felt… paralyzed. I didn't believe I had the right to be happy, or to have any joy in my life. Anything I wanted. I didn't deserve it."
"I'm sorry. I knew it was a difficult time for you, but I didn't realize... "
"No, it's fine. I'm much better now. I guess I hit rock bottom a while back. Some stuff happened, I was in a really bad place, and then it started to get better. I don't really want to talk about it just now, if you don't mind."
"Some other time, then."
"Yeah. Then lately I've been thinking about you more. But… I don't know. I was vacillating."
"Vacillating?"
"Wavering. You know. My thoughts and feelings. They were going back and forth…" he trailed off.
"Yes?" Jack prompted.
"Wavering between, um, raging desire and, well, sheer terror."
"Terror? You're not afraid of… me?"
"Not you exactly. I mean, sometimes you are a bit intimidating, but after working with you, all these months, the way you treated me after everything I'd done …. I do trust you. It's just… well, I've never quite done this before. It's all new."
"You've never…?" said Jack, suddenly confused. "Surely when you were with Lisa…?"
"No, no, of course I've had sex with women. I mean, I've never been with a man, never even fancied one, and frankly it's a lot for me to take in."
"Oh." said Jack, his brow furrowed in thought. He knew that 21st century humans viewed sexuality in a very different way than he did. But it had not occurred to him that this issue, in particular, would be the cause of Ianto's hesitation. "Well," he grinned, "it's really not all that different. Just some minor logistical adjustments. Now, aliens with tentacles, or sex organs where you expect a nose to be. That's tricky! I dated this gal from Malmooth once. Like an insect, she was..."
"Jack, why on earth must you joke like that?"
Jack grinned even wider. "What makes you think I'm joking?"
Ianto rolled his eyes. Then: "Just, if we could, um, take this slowly."
"Normally, I'm not much for slow. But hey, we've been playing this game of yours for a whole –" he looked at his watch – "eight and a half minutes, and since I successfully resisted the urge to completely undress you in the first eight seconds, I think I can manage to slow down. For a while at least."
"Thank you." Ianto, answered, his gaze lowered as a faint trace of blush spread across his cheeks.
"No problem. Leave it to me." he said as he circled his arms protectively around Ianto's waist. "I'll take good care of you."
"And I'd like to take care of you too, Jack." His voice was almost a whisper.
"You do that already, Ianto." Jack chuckled. "I know, that's not what you meant. But all in good time. Now, about that stopwatch…"
Jack's hands wandered down to Ianto's firm buttocks and entered his back pockets. He swept the pockets and, as he did so, pulled Ianto tight against him. Nothing there. Twelve. Thirteen.
Then, in a move so swift and deft that it nearly made Ianto gasp aloud, Jack grabbed his hips, flipped him around to face the desk, and thrust his hands deep into Ianto's front pockets. Ianto's hands reflexively went out, bracing himself on the desktop. Jack's fingers slowly explored the depths of the pockets, a thin layer of material between Jack's hands and Ianto's thighs. Jack's motions were sure and practiced. The feeling of the fine fabric against Ianto's legs was exquisite, even more so than the touch of bare skin would have been. Each sensation was magnified. He moaned softly as Jack swept his hands towards the center and briefly touched him there. He was fully erect and knew Jack was too from the way he pressed up against his backside. Jack leaned forward and nibbled on his neck, moving slowly up towards his ear. Ianto's groan deepened.
Reluctantly, Jack withdrew his hands from the pockets and Ianto rolled back around. For the second time that evening, it was Ianto who leaned in to kiss Jack first. A bit slower and more deliberate this time, but with plenty of fire building between them. Lips and tongues that were soft and moist contrasted with bodies, strong and firm and hard. Hands twining in each other's hair, running down each other's shoulders, arms, chest. After a while, when he could finally form a coherent thought, Jack paused and re-counted in his head. Front trouser pockets. Fourteen. Fifteen.
Jack cocked his head to one side. "I've checked all the obvious pockets and I'm only up to fifteen. Still no stopwatch. Either I missed one, which I doubt, or you've got a hidden pocket somewhere. You did hide it in a pocket, right?"
Ianto just smiled. "I'm surprised it's taken you this long."
Jack was momentarily riled. "Well, you were the one who wanted to take this slowly…"
Ianto laughed. "Actually I have a confession to make."
"Yes?" replied Jack.
"When I said there was quite a list, that was pretty much just a line. I had to say something, and I didn't know how to make the first move. Other than this game of find-the-stopwatch, I can't think of anything else. Besides the obvious, of course."
"The obvious?" asked Jack. "Oh, yes, the obvious," he replied, sounding more certain than he really was. "Like, we take turns, fastest time wins?"
"Pretty much."
"And I'll probably win the first round. Then you'd want to have a rematch."
"That sounds like a plan. I just assumed that you'd have lots of ideas, once we ran through my list."
"Oh I do," Jack smirked. "Just a warning though. The things on my list are rather… well… innovative."
"Innovative?"
"Bordering on the avant-garde."
"Oh." said Ianto, a momentary look of panic crossing his face. "Maybe after a couple rounds of the obvious, I could be up for a little … innovation."
"Just you wait and see! It'll be fun. But first, got to find that stopwatch… " Jack quickly unbuckled Ianto's belt but paused before unfastening the button on his trousers. "I just want to make sure – this is what you want?"
"Yes. I mean – yes."
"Because if… "
Ianto leaned forward, whispered in Jack's ear, "Please Jack. Please." There was urgency, almost desperation in his voice. Jack smiled. What he had been waiting for. Not begging exactly, but an admission of sorts.
Jack unbuttoned Ianto's trousers and ran his hand just inside, along the waistband. On the left side, just as he suspected, he found a small flap, the kind designed to foil pick-pockets, just large enough to hold a credit card, some cash – or a stopwatch, which indeed it did contain. Sixteen. Jack removed the stopwatch. It was ticking – he was surprised he hadn't heard it before. Ianto's hand covered his, thumbed the top button.
"Nineteen minutes, six seconds. Not exactly a record."
"Oh well," sighed Jack. "I'll have to work on improving my time."
Jack reached up with both hands and cupped either side of Ianto's face, paused to look into his eyes for a moment, then leaned forward for another kiss. Ianto's body was tense and he quivered slightly. He was tightly wound. This wouldn't take long, Jack though. Two minutes, tops. As for Jack, he was more than ready to find some release, but years of experience had taught him the virtues of self-control. Ianto was like a bud almost ready to bloom. A tasty dish to be savored rather than devoured. Jack knew that patience would be rewarded.
He hooked his thumbs under the waistband of Ianto's underwear and pulled them down. Pants and trousers together worked over his hips until they dropped to the floor.
Jack slid to his knees as Ianto clicked on the stopwatch.