Dancing with Immortality
Disclaimers: Torchwood is not mine. It is owned by BBC One, and created by Russell T. Davies.
Summary: Ianto and Jack and the rest of Torchwood spend what could be their last New Year's Eve dancing the night away, free from their worries and alien hunting. But Ianto and Jack soon opened their eyes to the harsh reality of what awaits them a few seconds before the sky blazed in bright ember.
Author's Notes: I just wanted to have a Torchwood entry to celebrate the New Year. I thought of this during a birthday party of my relative—or my dad's relative, I don't really know—and the band kept playing disco songs. Dance Instructors kept going around the tables and asking ladies to dance with them and it was such an amusing and fun sight to see. I remembered the dance Ianto and Jack had during Gwen's wedding which I was highly saddened by because Jack didn't focus on his partner. Plus, wouldn't it be more suitable for the two of them to dance to a disco song? LOL. The title is inspired by the song Dancing With Myself by Billy Idol. This is situated a bit after From Out of the Rain or Adrift, maybe, but definitely far from Fragments, so yes, Owen is the living dead, Gwen is married, Rhys knows about Torchwood, Tosh is showing her affections to Owen and Ianto's just falling deep for their boss. And Jack's still Jack, no matter what we do.
But don't forget who's taking you home
And in whose arms you're gonna be
So darling save the last dance for me
—Save the Last Dance for Me by Michael Buble
"Can I have this dance?"
They were five words that made Ianto almost jump from his seat and bring out the gun from his holster to shoot whoever it was mercilessly. They were five words that had shaken him out of his lonesome reverie at the table whilst everyone partied as they should be. They were five words that, when Ianto turned his head, came from a man who had his hand outstretched to him and was grinning out of genuine affection. Ianto clicked his tongue. "You about scared the life out of me."
Jack said nothing and kept his hand ready for Ianto to take. When the Welshman stared at it for a good five seconds, Jack answered his silent question. "I'm only repaying you for the dance at Gwen's wedding."
This had Ianto rolling his eyes. "I'd rather not be reminded of that frustrating night, thank you." Jack's face fell and he brought his beckoning hand up to the back of his neck, rubbing it awkwardly. "Oh," he said, flustered. "Sorry."
Ianto stood up, raising his hands up in defense. "Oh no, it's not that! Erm…" It was his turn to rub the back of his head awkwardly. "You know," he mumbled. "The cleaning up. Terrible."
"Oh. Yeah."
There was a beat of silence between the two before Ianto motioned to the dancing lot at the center of the room. "You're just jealous."
Jack scoffed. "Of what?"
"That Tosh is dancing with Owen, and Gwen—" He deliberately paused to check for signs of the captain's sudden stiffness before carrying on, "—is with Rhys." The pair looked at their teammates obviously having a swell time. Gwen was trying to keep up with Rhys' bounces and wobbles, laughing instead when her foot kept being stepped on. Tosh and Owen swayed timidly with Tosh being diffident with her dancing skills whilst Owen was trying hard to mask his relief that he could still do a little jig even in his current undead state, both slowly relaxing as they were slowly becoming aware that each other's presence was what mattered the most at the moment.
"I'm not jealous," responded Jack when he returned his gaze at Ianto. "I just happened to notice you sitting here all alone with nothing but your wine and your boredom."
"It's rather good wine," rebutted Ianto.
"I bet. You've had 3 glasses."
"The waiter kept offering. I'm not trying to get drunk, if that's what you think."
"No, I was sort of speculating that the waiter was."
"I know how to control myself."
"Where is this conversation going?" Jack sighed exasperatedly as he crossed his arms.
Ianto cocked his head to the side slightly. "Wherever you want it to go, sir."
Jack curved his lips upward, eventually, and held out his hand once again. "To the dance floor?"
Ianto looked at Jack, then at his hand, then back up to Jack. "Who's leading?"
"Is that a yes—"
"Yes, yes," Ianto answered too quickly as he gripped on his boss' hand. Jack laughed. "You never do give a straightforward answer, Ianto Jones. And to answer your previous question, well,"—he started pulling Ianto to the center—"who's the one asking for the dance?"
"You should know that girls often ask the boys for a dance, but they don't do the leading, now do they?" Ianto stated as-a-matter-of-factly. Jack paused and questioned the other with fake seriousness in his voice, "Are you implying that I am the woman in this relationship?"
"I never said so, sir," Ianto cracked into a grin in amusement. Jack also did so and said, "Well, then how's about we go with who's taller between the two of us?"
"Accepted." Ianto brought his free hand to rest upon Jack's shoulder. They started to do a Two-step to the music of September blasting through the speakers, Jack keeping his eyes fixed on his partner whilst Ianto keep glancing worriedly at his feet.
"What's down there?" Jack asked with a laugh.
Ianto grumbled, "It's hard to do this backwards."
"Then, let's forget that you know how to do it." Jack twirled the Welshman around and stopped dancing as he caught him, placing his hand on his hip. Ianto stared at his captain and breathed out. He nodded timidly, and when Jack stepped forward, Ianto had subconsciously stepped his parallel foot backward, twisting his body to angle with Jack's. A forward, a backward, a side step, a spin, a twirl. Ianto just let his body move in sync with Jack's leading and he had started to hum the background music.
"What is it with September 21, anyway?" Jack mused, trying to rack his brain into remembering anything significant about that specific date.
Ianto shrugged. "I know that Bob Mason died. And the King of Norway." He twirled. "And there was a handful of countries who joined the UN."
"I doubt that's enough reason to write a song about, Ianto," Jack chuckled.
"I didn't write it, don't ask me."
"Why not sing about January 1? That's much more understandable."
"And uninteresting and overrated." Ianto rolled his eyes. "Leave the song alone, Jack."
"How's the boss and his handy helper?" said Owen, taking his place beside the couple and earning a slap on the arm by Tosh.
"You two dance great!" Tosh declared to make up for Owen's remark. This didn't stop him though. "It's Jack and Ianto, Tosh," He pointed out. "Jack, he who never dies and obviously had to learn to dance to swoon the ladies and the gents; and Ianto, well, he's just got to be bloody perfect, doesn't he?"
Ianto rolled his eyes and stopped dancing. "For someone so perfect, I pick the most outrageous people to date."
Jack waved his hand dismissively and glared at Owen for ruining their moment together. Owen merely shrugged and replied to Ianto, "At least you ain't with some walking corpse, eh?"
Tosh scoffed. "What does that mean?"
"Hey," Jack soothed. "No fighting, kids."
Rhys and Gwen sauntered over to the group, still hyped from their dancing. "Isn't this fun?" Gwen squealed, tightening his grip on her husband's arm. Rhys, in turn, laughed. "Hot stuff here, it is."
Jack cocked his head to the side. He beamed and ran off to the DJ and whispered something to his ear. Ianto and the rest of the team watched him closely, eyebrows rising in curiosity. When the DJ nodded, he said to everyone in the room, "All right, party people, let's turn it up!"
Jack smirked at Ianto when the music started to boom and Ianto could only shake his head in disbelief. Was he really going to dance that with the captain? He looked at the other four who were already bobbing their heads to the rhythm. Jack made his way to Ianto and they had begun to return to their own world, dancing and twirling and stepping forward, backward and sideways. Ianto rolled his eyes when Jack had sung along to the music. "I want some hot stuff, baby, this evening…"
"Expecting a New Year shag, aren't you?" Ianto muttered.
"I was looking forward to it all week long," Jack confessed. "Although maybe a little naked hide-and-seek first, then sex."
"Great way to start a year with a bang, then, sir." Ianto and Jack laughed.
Forward, backward, sidestep, spin, twirl.
At each step, Ianto had begun to notice how the hand on his hip was slowly sliding down inconspicuously, and he barked at his partner, "Hands off me arse, Jack."
"Okay then," Jack smirked and moved his hand up and to the other side.
Ianto blushed. "Off me crotch."
"You like it."
"Christ, people are here, Jack!"
"I hope they tip us for putting on a good show."
"Hand. Off." Ianto growled and Jack removed it, oddly scared by the threat and, at the same time, turned on by the ferocity of his voice. He leaned forward and whispered in his ear. "I love your Welsh vowels."
Ianto rolled his eyes and stayed silent, finding interest on the wall instead.
Then, the music was cut off, and they had realized that it was precisely 1 minute left until the 1st of January and everyone was joining in the countdown, eyes focused on the open sky above them to await the marvelous display that was always a custom in greeting the New Year.
50 seconds and counting…
"It's been a great year," Ianto muttered.
"Yeah," Jack agreed. "It had been. Save for the weevil attacks. And Owen dying, of course."
Ianto glanced at their medic arm was around Tosh's shoulders. "Of course."
40 seconds and counting…
"I wonder what awaits us a few seconds from now," Jack mused.
Ianto sighed and pointed out the obvious. "Alien invasions, rift spikes…" he swallowed. "More death."
Jack looked at him, but the younger had averted his eyes.
25 seconds and counting…
"But we're Torchwood," Ianto said with confidence when he looked back up. "We're always ready."
Jack touched the man's arm and managed a weary smile. "Running on Chinese takeout, Meat Feast Pizza and Ianto's Godly Coffee."
Ianto returned the smile. "Look how far you've come, captain."
10 seconds and counting…
Jack entwined his fingers with Ianto's. "We've come."
Ianto stared at him.
5 seconds and counting…
Ianto leaned in carefully, attempting to meet Jack's lips but—
"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Everyone shouted as the fireworks display started, lighting up the sky and exploding, showering bright ember before they disappeared to let the next firework blaze. Their eyes glimmered in wonder and in newfound hope, and everyone had big grins plastered on their faces.
Jack looked around him, first at Tosh, then Owen, then Gwen, then Rhys, then everybody else. Then he looked at Ianto who was watching the show above their heads. Sadness loomed over Jack and he tightened his grip on him because another year meant more dangers in store for them, and he could do absolutely nothing to stop them from coming, nor will he be able to prevent whatever death that would take place. All he could do is sit and watch them die. He looked back to the sky and whispered, "I love you, Ianto."
But it was inaudible to the man beside him, and it didn't matter.
Because Jack knows that if he would ever hear Ianto reciprocate his feelings, then he would absolutely break.
Further Author's Notes: Reviews are appreciated. Happy New Year, everyone! :D