Author Note: Torchwood is owned by the BBC and I hope that everybody had a lovely Christmas!
Christmas Shopping
"Ianto?" begged Tosh "come on I'm freezing!"
Ianto rolled his eyes and smiled before saying "alright then."
Tosh grinned and pushed open the door to enter Costa, it was packed full of people but, more importantly, it was warm.
"You go get some seats and I'll queue" said Ianto.
Tosh tossed her hair, trying to brush her fringe that was damp from the falling snow out of her eyes and said "okay, pass me your shopping bags then."
Tosh looked around the busy cafe in despair, searching for a seat. Luckily a couple were getting up from a small table in the far corner. Tosh made a beeline move to them, walking awkwardly with the combined bulk of both, her own, and Ianto's Christmas shopping efforts. She tried not to appear rude and hover around the couple as they pulled on their coats but sank gratefully into a seat once they moved away. To put it simply, she was shattered; it had been busy in the Hub all week and this afternoon had been the first that both she and Ianto had had time to do a spot of shopping. The only problem was that it seemed like everybody else in Cardiff had also decided to go shopping and it had been a nightmare. The queues were horrendous, if the shop hadn't run out of whatever it was that they wanted already and Tosh was beginning to wish that she had followed Owen's advice about doing it all over the internet. To top it off it was snowing heavily and, although she was having a lovely time with Ianto, quite frankly Tosh had had just about enough.
Meanwhile, Ianto was stood in a queue wishing that his toes didn't feel so frozen that he feared that they would fall off. He tried not to be too impatient but it seemed like it was taking an age for the queue to go down and he almost groaned out loud as the person in front of him ordered several different complicated versions of what was essentially just black coffee. Ianto looked at the boards behind the till that advertised all the hot beverages before deciding on a hot chocolate, he knew that no matter what type of coffee he ordered the snob in him would hate it, which was why Tosh had practically begged him to even set foot in the place.
"Sorry about the wait there. What would you like?" asked the woman serving behind the till.
She looked tired and stressed so Ianto tried to be as friendly as possible, "a regular latte and regular hot chocolate please." He eyed the pastries on display, his stomach rumbled approvingly which made the decision for him "oh and two of your chocolate twists please."
"Would you like cream on the hot chocolate?" the woman asked.
"Please" Ianto replied, whilst thinking, 'why not seeing as its Christmas'.
Ianto quickly paid for the drinks, collected them and scanned the seating area looking for Toshiko.
"Here you go" he said, placing the tray on the table.
"Thank you Ianto" said Tosh, almost groaning in appreciation when her hands wrapped around her warm mug.
Ianto unbuttoned his coat and hung it on the back of his chair, before unwinding his scarf and sitting down.
"Ah" he moaned "thank god my feet were killing me." He began to chop his chocolate twist into manageable pieces and popped one in his mouth.
"Thanks for the cake Ianto" said Tosh, biting into her own.
The two ate quietly for a few moments but the silence was broken as Tosh giggled "um... Ianto you have a little..."
"What is it?" said Ianto.
"Cream on your nose" finished Tosh.
Ianto crossed his eyes comically, trying to see the end of his nose before Tosh leant over and wiped it away.
"Thanks" Ianto grinned.
"So" Toshiko began as subtly as possible "what are you asking Santa for this year?"
Ianto took another sip of his hot chocolate before saying "for the rift not to go off on Christmas day?"
Tosh laughed and said "well there is that. London usually gets it though so UNIT will have to deal with it."
"Hmm" agreed Ianto "about time too, aliens have ruined far too many Christmases for my liking."
Tosh suddenly realised that Ianto would have had to have dealt with all the Christmas invasions in the years gone by; although UNIT dealt with it now, before it was Torchwood One.
"That bad eh?" she asked carefully.
"Well I suppose for most of the morning I didn't do much when the Sycorax invaded" Ianto mused.
Tosh's eyes widened in understanding "were you stood on a roof?"
"Blood type A positive that's me" said Ianto, trying to inject a little humour into his voice.
"Scary stuff" Tosh said.
"Yep" sighed Ianto, "Lisa..." he paused and then continued "Lisa spent all morning trying to convince me to get down dressed only in her dressing gown; she was freezing when I came to. That was the first Christmas we both had off together and we ended up at work in the end anyway."
Ianto looked far away, lost in his memories and Toshiko didn't know what to say. It was always a little awkward if Lisa was brought up, which is probably why Ianto rarely mentioned her. They would always know her differently; Ianto would remember her as a woman that he loved, whilst Toshiko could only remember her as a metal monster, no matter how much she wished that she didn't.
"Saying that I was only in my pyjamas" Ianto said, suddenly coming to himself, "my feet were cut up something rotten."
"Should have worn your slippers" joked Toshiko.
"I didn't have any" smiled Ianto, "actually still don't. I never remember to buy some."
"So you'll be asking Santa for some slippers then?" teased Toshiko.
Ianto just grinned in response, "yep."
-TW-
Jack stared at Tosh disbelievingly, "you were out for four hours, four hours and all you got from him was that he'd like some slippers?"
Tosh sighed and said "I'm sorry Jack; you know what he's like he doesn't talk about himself! He gives nothing away and yet somehow gets it out of you that you're running out of perfume!"
"You need some perfume?" asked Jack hopefully.
"I think he's getting me that Jack" Tosh said gently.
"Damn" Jack muttered.
"I have no idea what to get him Tosh!" Jack moaned. "He likes James Bond, but has all the books and films. He had loads of cufflinks, plenty of aftershave and has more songs on his iPod than I've had hot dinners so there's no point in buying him a CD."
"Well I'm getting him the Green Wing box set" Tosh said "he said that he used to watch it when it was on TV years ago and said that he loved it."
"When did he say that?" asked Jack, screwing up his forehead in thought and wracking his brains.
Tosh shuffled in her seat a little awkwardly before finally saying "whilst you were away. I'd banged my head on a Weevil hunt with him whilst Gwen and Owen were at a rift opening in Splott so we went to the hospital. I said that I hated them and he said he used to before watching that show."
Jack looked confused until Tosh added "it's set in a hospital."
"Oh" said Jack "that's a good memory you have there Tosh."
Tosh grinned "and with concussion too! To be honest he says that little about himself it was easy to remember."
"He doesn't make it easy does he?" murmured Jack.
-TW-
The next person that Jack sent to probe Ianto for gift ideas was Gwen; he guessed that if Toshiko, who other than himself Ianto was undoubtedly the closest to, couldn't get anything out of him then Gwen with her police training and natural nosiness would be able to.
It took Gwen a little while to find the opportunity to talk to Ianto, to be honest even if Jack hadn't asked her she would have had to have done this because she had no idea what to buy her young colleague either.
Gwen walked up to the tourist office and put on her best pleading expression "Ianto?" she asked, drawing his name out.
"Yes Gwen?" Ianto said, looking up from where he was rearranging the Christmas brochures.
"I couldn't ask a favour could I?" she asked "I want to buy Rhys a new aftershave for Christmas, I hate the one that he wears but he loves it. I have a few samples here of ones that I like, could you... well would you mind taking a whiff? I want to double check that a guy will like it."
"Sure" said Ianto, "but why traipse up here? Surely Jack or Owen would have done it." He chivalrously offered Gwen his chair, before perching on the edge of his desk.
Gwen sighed "Owen wouldn't give me an honest answer; he'd think it was funny to get Rhys something disgusting and I really didn't want to get into a conversation about how Jack is a high evolved being and has pheromones that do it for him."
"Good point" smiled Ianto.
Gwen passed a handful of sample strips over to Ianto and grimaced as he immediately wrinkled his nose in disgust at the first one "see! This is why I need you" she laughed.
"To be fair Gwen that one is hideous" Ianto said seriously.
Gwen waved a hand at him to continue and waited a few moments before saying "so do you think that Santa will be bringing you any aftershave?"
"Yep" Ianto said, before sniffing another strip and discarding it in an increasing 'no' pile. "Every year Rhiannon and Johnny get me a bottle and the kids usually make me something."
"Yeah?" smiled Gwen.
"Yeah" said Ianto "last year they painted me a mug, I keep it at home."
"Ah that's nice" said Gwen, delighted when one strip finally began a 'possibly' pile on the desk.
"Yeah" said Ianto "it's always the same, she used to get me a bottle of Jack Daniels as well every year but I told her off for spending too much on me. She used to fuss 'cause I have to buy for her, Johnny and the kids but I told her not to be daft. So now I get just the aftershave which is nice."
"Hmm" agreed Gwen, whilst thinking that she now knew what to get Ianto for Christmas, but she still needed an idea for Jack. "So what else would you like for Christmas?"
"I'm not sure" said Ianto thoughtfully, "me and Tosh were talking the other day and I realised that I need slippers. What would you like?"
Before she knew it and, afterwards she wondered how exactly Ianto did it, Gwen began to talk about how she had seen a nice aromatherapy set in a shop off of the Plass and how she was hoping that Rhys got her a foot spa this year.
-TW-
Jack stared at Gwen, feeling frustrated "slippers? All you got from him was slippers?"
"Sorry Jack" Gwen said "he really doesn't give much away, maybe you should just ask him?"
"I can't do that" Jack groaned "then it won't be a surprise."
Gwen shrugged her shoulders and said "sorry Jack I don't know what else to suggest, he's really hard to buy for."
"Tell me about it, at least you're not the one dating him" Jack muttered, turning back to his computer and looking for more Christmas ideas on the internet.
Gwen was a little shocked, she didn't think that Jack was aware of what he had said out loud and she certainly hadn't realised that he and Ianto were dating.
"I'll leave you to it then" she said, standing up and making her way out of Jack's office.
"Thanks for trying anyway Gwen" Jack murmured, not looking in her direction and focusing on the screen in front of him.
Gwen left the office and Jack put his head in his hands "I hate Christmas shopping" he moaned.
-TW-
Jack wondered if asking Owen was the right thing to do but he was fast running out of people to spy for him. He supposed that he could call Ianto's sister but imagined that that would just be a not-so-fun conversation of him trying to explain why, as Ianto's boss, he wanted to know what to buy him for Christmas.
-TW-
Jack had gone to Flat Holm for the last time before Christmas, so when Owen suggested going to the pub once he had finished Ianto immediately accepted.
"Are you not coming Tosh and Gwen?" he asked, shrugging on his coat.
"No, I think I'm going to enjoy an early night in with Rhys" said Gwen "next time though yeah? Sometime before Christmas day."
"Sure" agreed Ianto "Tosh?"
Tosh shook her head "thanks but I want to get home, I said that I would call my family tonight."
Ianto smiled at Tosh fondly, Tosh had been excited all week about speaking to her family and wish them a merry Christmas. Although a few of her family members, including her beloved grandfather, lived in London, her mother and brother had moved back to Japan and Ianto knew that Tosh missed them terribly.
"You ready?" asked Owen, before moving to the invisible lift.
"Have fun!" called Tosh and the two men waved goodbye before moving upwards.
Soon they were sat opposite each other in a booth clutching their pint glasses.
"So you done all your shopping then?" Owen asked.
"Pretty much" Ianto said, taking another sip of his beer. "You?"
"Yeah" said Owen "spent a bloody fortune."
"Scrooge" Ianto said jokingly.
"Well I have!" exclaimed Owen, "the amount I've spent on Christmas the last few years I could afford a Jaguar."
"Would you really get a Jaguar?" Ianto said "I'd have thought that you'd want something flashier like a Bugatti or something."
"Nah a Jag would do me just fine" sighed Owen, stretching out under the table and taking another gulp of his beer. He decided that he didn't do subtlety well and it wasn't working so just said "so what do you want for Christmas then?"
Ianto rolled his eyes and said "tell Jack that I'd like some slippers."
Owen stared at Ianto in disbelief for a moment before nonchalantly saying "maybe I was asking for me."
Ianto shook his head "you said that you've done all your Christmas shopping and in about the period of four days you, Tosh and Gwen have asked me whilst Jack hasn't said a word and I know that he hates Christmas shopping. I keep giving everyone the same answer, just tell him slippers."
"You really do know everything don't you?" Owen muttered into his beer.
"Pretty much" Ianto said cheerfully.
"I think that he wants to spend a bit more on you than that mate" Owen said a few moments later.
Ianto frowned "I don't like fuss and I certainly don't like asking for presents, he'll just have to get me some slippers. Its practical, I need some."
Owen just shook his head and drank the dregs of his drink "your round!" he declared.
"Sure, same again?" Ianto asked.
-TW-
Jack didn't know whether to laugh or cry "slippers? He honestly just wants slippers?"
Owen shrugged "I think that you're just going to have to give in mate."
-TW-
It was Christmas Eve and the team were packing up for the day.
"Rift alerts will get sent to my wrist strap but hopefully guys we won't have to come back in until the twenty seventh" Jack said, "well except for feeding Myfanwy and Janet but we'll do that."
Much to Ianto's relief Owen and Gwen decided to comment on the fact that Jack was clearly staying at his place for Christmas.
The team had exchanged gifts earlier that morning, before Tosh had left to go to spend Christmas at her grandfather's home in London, but they had decided to leave them to be unwrapped on Christmas Day.
Owen looked at his watch "shit, best run Pete's train will be in soon."
"Pete?" questioned Gwen.
"Mate from medical school, he's coming to spend Christmas with me" Owen answered whilst pulling on his coat and grabbing his bag of gifts.
"Oh that's nice" Gwen said also getting ready to leave, she was glad as she hadn't liked the idea of Owen being alone on Christmas.
"See you later!" said Owen.
"Merry Christmas guys" Gwen smiled.
The cog wheel rolled and Jack just grinned at Ianto "and then there were two."
Ianto shook his head fondly and said "come on, let's get this place locked up and get out of here."
-TW-
The next morning Ianto woke up, much to his surprise, to a sleeping Jack in his bed. Usually Jack didn't sleep, or if he did was up hours before he was, so it was a rare sight to see him sleep. During the night Jack had flung an arm over Ianto's waist so Ianto just snuggled into his embrace and watched his lover sleep.
"Its rude to stare you know" Jack said suddenly, without opening his eyes.
Ianto started in surprise and then punched Jack softly in his arm "bastard" he muttered fondly.
Jack just responded by pulling Ianto closer to him and cracking one eye open "merry Christmas" he smiled.
Ianto grinned back in return "Nadolig Llawen" he whispered, before kissing Jack softly.
Jack groaned and rolled over on top of Ianto "you know what you speaking Welsh does to me" he said before proceeding to kiss Ianto again.
When they broke apart for air Jack smiled down fondly at Ianto, with his flushed cheeks, bed hair and an excited spark in his eyes he looked good enough to eat.
"Maybe you should remind me" Ianto said cheekily, before pulling Jack into another kiss.
-TW-
A while later the two men were finally ready to get out of bed.
"Shower, breakfast or presents first?" asked Ianto.
"Presents" Jack immediately said.
Ianto just laughed and said "alright then!"
He climbed out of bed and shivered as his bare feet touched the wooden flooring that he had in his bedroom, making Jack smile. Jack watched the view appreciatively as Ianto walked naked to the wardrobe and moaned in disappointment as he covered up in his dressing gown.
"Come on!" said Ianto, tugging at the duvet and making Jack shiver before throwing boxers and a t-shirt at him.
Soon Ianto had turned on the gas fire in the living room and the two men sat cross legged on the floor, next to the Christmas tree like they were children.
Within minutes there was ripped wrapping paper everywhere as they opened their gifts and Jack couldn't help but laugh at one of Owen's gifts to Ianto which was a comedy pair of boxer shorts covered in sheep.
By unspoken agreement the two men left their gifts to each other last and Jack was pleased as punch with his set of crystal glass tumblers and a very old and expensive bottle of brandy that he favoured.
"Thanks Yan" he said happily. "These glasses are beautiful."
"And as a little something on the side" Ianto said, passing Jack a slim, flat parcel.
Jack ripped open his gift and laughed as he saw a 'Teach Yourself Welsh' book. "It is about time that I learnt" he chuckled.
"It is" Ianto agreed.
"Here is yours" Jack said softly, passing Ianto a small, square box.
Ianto looked at the neatly wrapped package apprehensively; this was certainly not a pair of slippers. Inside the wrapping paper was a flat black box; Jack watched Ianto's expression nervously as Ianto opened it, but he needn't have worried. Ianto was speechless as he saw the beautifully engraved silver stopwatch nestled in dark blue silk.
"Oh Jack" he said breathlessly, "it's beautiful. Thank you."
Jack smiled "I'm glad that you like it. Although your old, battered one will always be my favourite."
The two men shared a naughty grin for a moment as they remembered how exactly that stopwatch had ended up so battered.
"And as a little something on the side" Jack echoed with a smile.
Jack passed Ianto a soft bulky package and Ianto grinned in response. He ripped open the package and chuckled as he revealed a large pair of Rudolph the reindeer slippers.
"Slippers!" Ianto cried "how did you know?" He immediately jammed them on his cold feet and leant over to kiss Jack. "Thank you" he whispered against Jack's lips before stealing another kiss.
-TW-
Meanwhile, in other houses the rest of the Torchwood team opened their gifts, including those from Ianto. Tosh sprayed on some of her new perfume as she got ready for Christmas lunch; whilst Gwen sat relaxed in her living room with an oil lamp burning her favourite scent as her feet bubbled away in her new foot spa from Rhys. Owen laughed as he saw what Ianto had gotten him and in the end he and Pete spent the rest of the day drinking beers and playing with the remote controlled Jaguar car. The whole team wondered how Ianto had managed to get the perfect gift idea out of them, when they had only managed to get slippers out of him.
-TW-
After they finished their Christmas dinner Jack and Ianto decided to get started on the box set that Tosh had gotten Ianto. Jack decided that he was going to keep his brandy from Ianto for special occasions, so insisted that he and Ianto should have a glass as they watched it. Jack leant against Ianto's sofa as Ianto came back from the kitchen with two bowlfuls of Christmas pudding and cream and switched on the DVD player using the remote. He gratefully took his bowl and smiled as Ianto settled down next to him, crossing his legs as he did, his feet still firmly encased in his Rudolph slippers.