Disclaimer: I do not own.
TWTWTWTW
The team was sitting in the boardroom gulping down their pizzas the first entertainment of the day and probably the only one. The last week had been downright boring. Not only had the Rift been silent all week but Ianto had them all up to speed on their paperwork and it seemed even the weevils had decided to vacate town.
Jack was contemplating letting half the team go home early preferable Gwen and Owen as they had been extremely ill equipped at self-management. Ianto and Tosh somehow always managed to find tasks that need to be done. Gwen's and Owen's moans of boredom and interruptive behaviour were getting on Jack's nerves.
Gwen perked up for a moment and looked at the team as she finished the last slice of her pizza. Jack had a feeling what that meant and it was soon confirmed.
"Let's play a game." Gwen said with a smirk. Ianto rolled his eyes in that endearing way Jack just could not get enough of and Tosh shut her eyes for a moment remembering the last game and her humiliation for being the only one that had not kissed anyone for the last six months. The number of months had only grown since the last time.
"Not one of your pathetic children's games." Owen groaned out loud making Tosh giggle under her breath. Gwen looked annoyed for a moment but soon got her momentum back.
"Come on it's a COSMO quiz and it's not like any of you have anything better to do." Without waiting for a response she got up from her chair and left the boardroom. Coming back shortly after waving a COSMO magazine triumphantly over her head she looked positively gloving.
"Come on guys this is going to let us get to know each other better and it will be fun. Team building, right Jack?" She looked at Jack expectantly with her wide puppy eyes.
"Alright Gwen give it a go." Jack surrendered earning himself a lifted brow of outrage from Ianto.
"Er…..like Gwen said we have nothing else to do." At Jack's words Ianto rolled his eyes. That did not bode well for the evening Jack was hoping for and that would not do. Jack had to do something to get back in Ianto's good book.
Gwen's eyes lit up and she started to flick through the magazine to find the quiz. After a moment she stopped a started to read frowning.
"Hm, it's not much of a quiz I'm afraid…" She admitted. "….but it is rather deep and we could learn a lot." She turned to Tosh.
"I think you will all like this one."
"Oh, come on Gwen just let us get it over with." Owen moaned and pushed back from the table scratching his belly holding back a yawn.
"Okaayyy, keep your hats on." Gwen was getting a bit stressed feeling quit sure this was not going to be as easy a task as with her girlfriends. Anticipating a lot of clarifying questions she took a deep breath and asked the question.
"What would you bring to a desert island if you could only bring one thing?"
Oh, that old platitude of a philosophical question, thought Jack. But it did give him something to work with so he began to form a plan to get back on the good side of his Welshman.
"What's the weather conditions on the island and do I wear clothes or not." Asked Tosh earning an approving look from Ianto and Jack could not help the smile creeping on his face. This was just so Tosh to want all the facts before even contemplating an answer.
"Tropical Island and yes clothes; Bermuda shorts, a long sleeved t-shirt and flip-flops plus a head scarf." Gwen answered surprising the rest of the team for her precise and no nonsense answer. Not even Tosh could think of a question after that.
"I'll go first. My pillow….. Can't live or sleep without it." Gwen started out looking rather satisfied with her own answer and mentioning for Owen to be next.
Owen leaned forward narrowing his eyes at Gwen.
"That's easy. Porn!... Can't live or sleep without it." A smirk played over his face and he leaned back in the chair again folding his hands behind his head pleased with himself having effectively annoyed Gwen and actually answered rather truthfully on the question. Owen's eyes darted to Ianto for a split second. Jack noticed a smile tucking at the corners of Ianto's lips and was happy to see the doctor and the archivist getting on a little better. Gwen was sending Owen a disapproving glare and Tosh was looking to the ceiling. Jack couldn't quit read her reaction but suspected her being on the same page as Ianto.
"Your turn, Tosh." Gwen said still staring daggers at Owen.
"Hm, I'll take the 61'st century survivor-guide from the archives. It will have all the answers to everything…. I'll be the queen of the island in no time." Tosh stated and her eyes burned bright with humour.
"Good one Tosh." Said Jack with a smirk, all the team's answers played beautifully into his plan. The rest of the team nodded their agreement making Tosh preen a little.
"Ianto what about you? I'm sorry I probably took your answer." Tosh said with a smirk. Ianto smiled at her and shook his head.
"A boat." He deadpanned. Of course Ianto would come up with the only truly logical answer. Gwen and Tosh giggled, Owen snorted and Jack sent Ianto a proud smiled.
"The only logical answer of course." Said Jack and padded Ianto on the shoulder testing the waters. Was he forgiven? Ianto tensed just a little too much, so not entirely forgiven.
"Now, Jack you heard all our answers so yours must be good….. let's have it." It was obvious that Owen didn't think Jack had anything.
Jack added a little drumroll in his head before getting up and placing his hands on the table in front of him. He looked every team member in the eyes in turn.
"You people have nothing….. My thing will surpass all yours….. They will be obsolete." Jack latched his eyes on Ianto and smiled knowing full well that the next thing he said could backfire and ruin every chance of Ianto spending the night.
"I'll take Ianto." Jacks face went into full Captain Harkness mode dazzling the crowd and winked at the team. Ianto's ears turned pink in a blink of an eye but he kept his usual impassive face except for a raised questioning brow. Jack saw a little glimmer of hope in the fact that he did not close down completely.
"How does Ianto in anyway surpass our things." Gwen laughed but there was a fake tone to it that Jack couldn't quite place.
"Well that's just rude Gwen. Of course Ianto is better than a book or a freakin' pillow." Tosh admonished Gwen in a giggle not noticing the dissonance.
"I'll tell you how." Jack smiled and sat back down.
"I don't need a pillow Gwen, when I have a cuddly Welshman to rest my weary head on." He said while throwing Ianto puppy-dog eyes. Ianto sighed and moved to get up.
"Anyone for coffee?" He said coughing trying to move the attention away from what Jack was implying. The whole team was currently looking at him in a way he didn't like at all but Jack put a hand on his shoulder to keep him in his seat.
"Don't you want to hear the rest? I'm sure coffee can wait a few minutes." Jack could see a small annoyance in Ianto's eyes but he soon settled down in his chair and mentioned for Jack to go on.
"Yeah, I'm sure I speak for the rest of us in saying that we are dying to hear the rest of your reasoning." Owen snarled. Jack leered at Owen and continued.
"I don't need porn Owen, when I have a hot Ianto in flip-flops and Bermuda shorts. The possibilities alone will entertain my imagination for hours on end."
Owen looked utterly disgusted. "Oi, Harkness I really didn't need to hear that." Tosh giggled and Gwen furrowed her brows and red spots were forming on her chest and lower neck.
"Really Jack…. That's not appropriate… Ianto pet don't take it too hard he is only kidding…. Jack this is borderline harassment." Her tone towards Ianto was rather patronizing and Jack saw Ianto tense up at her words. He wondered if a talk with Gwen was needed, if she was in some way jealous Jack's attention towards Ianto?
"I think, I will survive it Gwen, I have my boat after all."Ianto deadpanned. Everybody laughed at that except Gwen who only tentatively smiled.
Clapping his hands together Jack got the attention back where it belonged. On him.
"I'm sorry Tosh, as brilliant as your choice was I wouldn't need it. Because I know for a fact that Ianto has that particular book memorised to the last page." Jack said with triumph and Ianto actually looked pleased now. The team was looking at him with a bit of awe.
"Yep, since the cannibals I thought it imperative." Ianto smirked and Jack winked at him.
Jack was excited to deliver his trump card.
"So all in all, why on earth would I want a boat, when I could spend time alone with Ianto?" Ianto was blushing a little bit at Jacks words but no one noticed except Jack because at that moment Gwen abruptly got up from her chair and left the boardroom. From where Tosh was sitting she could see Gwen's eyes. They were watering either in anger or something else entirely.
TWTWTWTW
A/N: so what do you think? Did Ianto spend the night?