Five Senses - 1. Sight

Moodily, Jack stared across the busy hotel restaurant at the young man who had caught his eye virtually from the moment he had walked into the room. He had been cursing his bad luck that his regular six monthly meeting with Yvonne Hartman had coincided with the annual Torchwood One summer party, Hartman had been most insistent that Jack attend, citing it as an opportunity for him to meet some of her staff. Privately Jack felt that not knowing any of Hartman's staff was fine by him but Yvonne would not take no for an answer; so now poor Jack was stuck in a hot hotel ballroom with around 800 other people eating sub-standard beef and watery potatoes, an experience only marginally mitigated by the quality of the wine. Magicians and fortune tellers moved between the tables entertaining the diners. It was Jack's idea of the worst kind of hell.

The young man that Jack was obsessively observing was seated on a table about as far away from the top table as it was possible to be, so Jack assumed he occupied some lowly position in the Torchwood One hierarchy. He did not seem to be engaging very much with his colleagues, keeping his eyes lowered to the table top and merely offering a small smile to anyone who tried to talk to him. It was no good, Jack thought, he had to ask; he leant across to Yvonne and touched her on the arm,

'Do you know who that young man is' Jack enquired

Hartman cast a swift glance to where Jack was pointing and shrugged, 'that's the Archives Section,' she said dismissively, 'they are just filing monkeys. I don't really concern myself with them.'

Lisa Hallett, the Directors PA leant across the table giving Jack a spectacular view down the front of her dress, 'that's Ianto Jones' she told Jack, 'you're wasting your time there Captain. He's frigid.'

Jack raised an eyebrow, 'and you would know this...how?' he asked

Lisa laughed coarsely, 'I went out with him for a couple of months as a bet' she said, running her hands down her body in order to draw Jack's attention to her fabulous figure, 'God, he was hard work! When I eventually got him into bed, he couldn't perform. I mean, look at me! He must be frigid'

Jack scowled at the vanity of the ego-centric woman and turned away to feast his eyes once more on the individual he now knew to be Ianto Jones. He was mouth wateringly beautiful reflected Jack, his dark wavy hair making a delicious counterpoint to his pale skin, Welsh skin Jack was now willing to bet given the boy's name. He was tall and slim, his fingers long and supple and, Jack knew from watching him walk across the room towards the bathrooms, he moved with a sinuous grace that boded well for his suppleness in bed. For some minutes Jack fantasised about lying next to that lithe body, feeling those long delicate fingers wrapping themselves around his cock, breeching him, brushing against his prostate, he wondered what Ianto Jones looked like when he came.

I must have him thought Jack to himself; I haven't seen anything so gorgeous for ages.

Suddenly Jones raised his head, turned and looked straight into Jack's eyes, for a long moment the two men stared at each other until Ianto gave Jack such a sweet smile that for a second Jack forgot how to breathe. He pushed away from the table; his eyes fixed on the young man and walked across the room towards the French windows that opened onto a long balcony running the length of the room. Ianto Jones, still staring at the man who had been watching him so intently at him all evening, did likewise.

The two men abruptly found themselves face to face on the deserted terrace,

'Who are you?' asked Ianto

'Captain Jack Harkness and I already know that you are Ianto Jones' said Jack smoothly

'I've heard of you' said Ianto, 'much of it is hard to believe.'

Jack looked smug, 'everything you've heard is true.'

Ianto frowned 'you've been looking at me all night' he said challengingly

Jack was mesmerised by Ianto's features, he's even more beautiful close to, he thought , then he became aware that Ianto was scowling at him and waiting for a response, 'I have' he said levelly

'Care to explain why?'

Jack laughed, 'are you kidding? You are the most stunning person in that room – how could I not stare at you?'

The blue-grey eyes became stormy, 'I'm sorry?'

Jack swallowed heavily, this wasn't going quite how he had hoped, 'have you looked in a mirror lately,' he asked, 'you are breath-taking'

The young man's face froze, 'oh I get it, I saw you talking to Lisa Hallett, I imagine she told you about our...encounter.' he gave a bitter laugh, 'why wouldn't she, she's told everyone else. So, what? It's your turn to have a go at the frigid weirdo is it?'

'What?' Jack was outraged, 'No, nothing like that! I just...I couldn't take my eyes off you. All I did was ask the Director who you were and Hallett overheard and told me your name, you are the loveliest thing I have seen for years.'

Ianto snorted with disbelief, 'yeah right' he said, 'Instant attraction across a crowded room? Things like that don't happen outside of cheesy romcoms. Send a gorgeous sex god to seduce the shy virgin and then laugh with all your friends because I can't do casual or meaningless sex with empty headed pretty things'

Jack grinned, 'you think I'm gorgeous?'

Ianto rolled his eyes, 'Really? That's what you took from that? Leave me alone, Captain Harkness. I'm not gay, I'm not easy and I'm not attracted to you!'

'Oh yeah?' Jack grabbed him by the lapels of his suit, pulled him close and kissed him hard. For a glorious few minutes Ianto kissed him back, matching passion with passion, tangling their tongues together and swallowing Jack's moans, then just as Jack was beginning to feel lightheaded he was pushed away.

'Wow' breathing heavily Jack stared at the young man in front of him, 'definitely NOT frigid, although possibly a little gay'

Ianto looked stricken, 'don't laugh at me' and he turned and almost ran from the terrace.

'Fuck' swore Jack and hurried back into the ballroom. He could just see Ianto heading towards the lifts and made to follow him but found his path blocked by one the fortune tellers who were working the room.

'Excuse me, ma'am' said Jack trying to dodge around the woman who grasped his arm in a strong grip

'Captain Harkness' she said insistently, 'someone wishes to read your cards for you.' She moved slightly to one side and Jack was startled to see a familiar young blonde girl sitting calmly at a table, smiling in his direction. She held her tarot cards out to him.

'The major Arcana' she said, 'shuffle them and pick out three cards'

Although Jack's mind was screaming at him to ignore her and continue his pursuit of Ianto Jones, he found himself doing as she requested. Slowly he sat down and shuffled the cards; he lay his three cards, face down in front of her and leant forward as she turned the first card over with her small delicate hand. It showed a tall, slim dark haired man in a well cut suit about to step from a cliff edge. In the background an indistinct figure in a World War II great coat watched.

'The Fool' said the young girl, 'indicative of new journeys or relationships. It is a card of the unknown but one suggesting optimism and happiness'

Jack raised his eyes to her face and she gave a calm nod, 'the next card' she turned it over and blushed slightly, 'oh...The Lovers' The two naked men shown on the card wrapped tightly in each other's arms clearly resembled Jack and Ianto Jones. The little girl clapped her hands with delight, 'love, harmony and internal peace'

Eyes fixed on Jack's she turned the final card, without even looking at it she said. 'The World, the end of all things, the completion of a personal cycle.' The card showed the, by now, familiar figures of Jack and Ianto embracing against the backdrop of a burning planet. The girl's eyes grew large and dark, Jack could not tear his gaze away as she continued, 'he is for you Captain. He will be your lover and your love, your soul mate and your soul. Don't be afraid, you will find him again'

A loud scream of laughter from the room behind him made Jack spin round his hand dropping to his hip where his Webley usually resided. One of the magicians had just turned the flowers of the table centre into a bunch of brightly coloured balloons much to the hysterical amusement of the inebriated diners; relaxing Jack turned back to the table but the girl was gone. He leant back in his chair, a deeply contented smile spreading across his handsome face.

He would see Ianto Jones again