First Day Part 2:

Ianto crouched low to place several books back on a low shelf, ignoring his sore ribs and aching shoulder's protests to the action. He was in the very back of the library, nicknamed 'The Archives', where barely read autobiographies, damaged books, and old periodicals lined the tall shelves.

The librarian let Ianto eat lunch in the building when he came in to help recheck in books and put them away. For all intents and purposes he was hiding out in the orderly and quiet sanctuary.

His first day back had quickly turned to shit with the arrival of a new student and Owen teasing the hell out of him at lunch. It had started going south during registry. And after that it was like a bloody landslide.

Earlier

When it came time for maths Ianto followed Tosh into the classroom looking around for Jack, Ianto was sure Jack had said they had the same class. He didn't see him so he sat next to Tosh and pulled out the binder and pencil he'd retrieved from his locker. Owen sauntered into the room and slouched in the chair next to Tosh',

" 'lo Tosh" he said, rifling through his bag for a pencil.

Tosh smiled, cheeks tinted with a blush and muttered back, "hi Owen."

Next to her Ianto snickered, enjoying his revenge he poked her in the side with his mechanical pencil, hi Owen he mimicked. Tosh stomped his foot under the desk all the while smiling sweetly and got out her own notebook.

Ianto wiggled his toes and glanced at the door. A small smile formed on his face when he saw Jack walk through it but faded quickly when he noticed Jack talking to a girl he didn't recognize. She was making doe eyes at him, smiling widely as he flirted with her.

Ianto concentrated on staring at his desk, not even looking up when Jack sank into the seat next to him and Tosh greeted the older boy over Ianto's bowed head.

Jack said hello back before introducing the newcomer as Gwen Cooper. Ianto murmured a polite hello, echoing the others but didn't look up.

Jack frowned in Ianto's direction but before he could say anything the teacher came in and called the class to attention. They were going over the syllabus when a folded scrap of paper appeared on the corner of Ianto's open notebook where had been idly doodling.

Blinking in confusion Ianto opened it and read Jack's messy scrawl, 'what's up? You seem upset.' Glancing at the front of the room where Ms. Hathaway was going over the homework policy Ianto hastily wrote back 'nothing. I'm fine, just tired.'

Sneaking another look at the teacher Ianto slid the note back to Jack. A few minutes later Ianto felt a warm hand brush his fingers and looked to his right, meeting Jack's eyes for the first time since class started.

They kept staring at each other until Gwen attracted Jack's attention, asking a question about lunch period and Jack pulled his hand away to answer her.

Opening the note Ianto read, 'you sure? Why didn't you sleep good?'

Ianto stared at the paper wondering what to write. He didn't particularly want Jack to know that he'd been up the half the night with nightmares after getting tossed out by his tad. Biting his lip Ianto scribbled, 'doesn't matter' and passed the note back to the older boy.

Jack pursed his lips in annoyance as he read the note. Ianto was so evasive sometimes, it drove him crazy. Aware of Gwen trying to read over his shoulder, Jack quickly tore off the corner of his paper and wrote a note back. Ianto unfolded the new scrap and his eyebrows raised in surprise, 'want to hang out after school?'

Scribbling furiously Ianto glanced at Jack from the corner of his eye and passed the note to Tosh. Tosh unfolded the note and read it. Under Jack's question Ianto had drawn an arrow and 'from Jack' before continuing below; 'what should I say?' Tosh rolled her eyes and wrote her reply, nudging Ianto with her foot as she placed it back on her friend's desk.

'Say yes you idiot. It's not like you haven't been wanting to spend time with him forever.'

Ianto carefully folded the corner from a page in the back of his notebook until he could rip out an even rectangle before replying, 'sure. Meet you by my locker?'

The bell rang and Jack smiled at Ianto, whispering "it's a date" in his ear before disappearing into the hall with a cheeky wink, Gwen tailing behind him. Ianto sat there for a moment until Tosh nudged his chair and he quickly packed his things. They left the classroom together Tosh whispering excitedly in his ear, "what did Jack say?"

Ianto groaned and leant his forehead against the shelf in front of him. He was such an idiot sometimes. Vaguely aware the shelf digging a red line across his forehead, Ianto closed his eyes and thought back to lunch. He had been sitting at a table with Tosh and Owen and some girl Owen dragged along, much to Toshiko's disappointment, eating the sandwich Mrs. Sato had made for him and absently listening to Tosh tell him about a new RPG.

Ianto stole a sip of Tosh's soda and scanned the crowd of students until he laid eyes on a familiar blue coat. Jack and that new girl, Gwen, were standing a ways off by the benches. The other boy's back was turned but Ianto could see Gwen's face as she listened to Jack telling one his unbelievable stories.

His expression turned to a frown when she threw her head back in a hearty laugh. Did she just snort? He wondered sourly. He was startled out of his jealous thoughts when Tosh stole her soda back with a playful glare on her face. Ianto must have still been frowning because Tosh's expression turned serious as she looked past her best friend's shoulder.

"Oh Ianto, you know Jack flirts like that with everybody, it doesn't mean anything."

Leaning closer she whispered in his ear,

"Besides, he asked you to hang out with him later, not Gwen".

Ianto managed a small smile but his stomach was still churning. Something about that Gwen girl unsettled him. Tosh smiled encouragingly at him but whatever she was going to say next was lost when Owen opened his big mouth.

"I don't know why you bother mooning over Jack Ianto; he doesn't need a boy toy by the looks of things"

He said with a significant glance toward the boy in question, he was walking toward their table with Gwen hanging off his arm.

"Besides,"

He continued unmercifully,

"You'd never have a chance with him".

Ianto was barely aware of Tosh telling Owen to sod off when he looked up and met Jack's eyes. The older boy grinned at him, and with his face burning, Ianto grabbed his bag off the table and fled across the grass.

'And that brings us to now.'

Ianto thought dully.

He was just motivating himself to pick his head up and put more books away when he heard heavy foot falls approaching him steadily.

'Don't be Jack, don't be Jack, don't be Jack… '

He thought desperately, eyes screwed tightly shut.

"Ianto?"

a hesitant voice inquired.

'Fuck its Jack.'

Ianto realized with a tired sigh and slowly picked his head up from the shelf, wincing slightly as the corner of the wood stuck to his skin briefly, Ianto turned to face his friend.

"Hi Jack. Do you need a book?"

Jack looked at him oddly for a moment and Ianto quickly brought a hand to his forehead, furiously trying to rub out the hideous red mark he could feel. Jack smiled at him and chuckled.

"What?"

Ianto snapped irritably.

"You're adorable."

Ianto let his hand drop to his side as his eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"That's harassment, read the student handbook."

He replied lightly.

Jack just chuckled again and took a step forward.

"Ianto Jones, what am I going to do with you?"

He asked teasingly and was surprised by Ianto's reply.

"What do you want to do with me?"

Ianto asked softly, one eyebrow quirked mischievously.

This time Jack's eyebrows were raised before he broke into his famous grin, taking another step toward the shorter boy until their shoulders were brushing. A teasing glint in his eye Jack leaned forward to whisper in Ianto's ear,

"Lots of things Mr. Jones."

He pulled back, still grinning and looked directly into Ianto's blue eyes.

They both looked at the other for a moment before dissolving into laughter.

"I'm sorry,"

Jack gasped out, "that was just too funny."

Ianto shook his head as he was still laughing too hard to respond. His shoulders were protesting to the full body laughs rolling over him but he couldn't stop.

It was pretty funny. Jack stopped laughing and looked at Ianto's face again. Sensing his scrutiny Ianto managed to stop laughing long enough to ask,

"What?"

Jack smiled again, not his shit eating grin, but a small, happy smile.

"You still wanna hang out later right? I thought we could go to the park, play a little footie."

Ianto's face broke into a wide smile and nodded.

"Sure, sounds good. We haven't done that in a long time."

Jack took a small step toward Ianto again, a question on his lips but before he could ask a loud whisper from Gwen bloody Cooper carried through the shelves;

"Jack, psst, Jack. Where did you go?"

Ianto groaned inwardly and Jack turned back on his grin and stepped out from behind the shelves. "Right here Gwen".

R&R