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Chapter 2: It's not unusual

Ianto stared at himself in the mirror. Not too shabby, even if I do say do myself. He reached over to his chair and pulled on his suit jacket, adjusting his cuffs. He'd chosen one of his best tailored suits and a dark red shirt, which he knew brought out his eyes. He started to style his hair, making it a bit messy and what he hoped was quite sexy. His flatmate's face appeared around the side of the door.

"Hot date, Ianto?"

"Hmm. Something like that. (If only she knew). So, how do I look?"

"Very good. The suit looks great, especially your bum, and your hair is very...mmm." she smiled, winking at him through her grinning eyes.

Ianto sighed visibly, no matter what his best friend said he was unable to shake his nerves about what would happen that evening. It had all sounded so simple when his instructor had explained it earlier. They would go to a bar in pairs, find a target, flirt their way into their confidence and eventually head home with them. Then they'd get a call saving them from the inevitable. Mission accomplished. The fact that they would be monitored the whole time through CCTV and adapted alien tracking devices did little to calm Ianto. These measures were to ensure their safety and were supposed to put them at ease. For the young shy Welshman, however, it meant he had a very observant audience waiting to watch him fail. This is my own personal hell.

He picked up the small tracker and placed it into the hole especially made in his cufflink. Pressing the end, it activated with a quiet beep. Right, so now everyone in the control room at Torchwood 1 can track my every move, and have a good laugh when I end up coming straight home again. Alone.

Ianto was sat at the bar drinking a pint very slowly. Every other time he raised the glass to his lips it was just to wet them, a trick of the trade his instructor had said. It was no use getting really drunk when you were supposed to be in control of an information gathering assignment.

Central London on a Friday night was busy to the point of insanity, everyone was on the pull it seemed, the air was thick with laughter and chatter. He surveyed the room carefully; utilising his last few weeks of training to help him make fast and complex assumptions about those around him. His partner for the evening had left with someone 15 minutes earlier, giving Ianto a wink as she headed out of the door with a city banker. Ianto looked back across the bar and stared down into his pint. She was probably getting her get-out call right now, and would soon be on her way home. He wished he was in her position. Why can't I just do this?

Ianto had neared success, but his past two attempts had ended in an awkward silence and a gradual edging away from each other. He'd chosen to sit at the bar and survey the room as best he could. The chat up lines that failed on his colleagues also went down like a ton of bricks here. Despite the failure, he knew he looked good, and willed himself to summon up the confidence to go and make a move. Sighing, he moved back to his pint. A large gulp of lager this time.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" asked a deep male voice behind him.

Ianto turned on his stool and took in the man standing next to him. Tall, dark hair and the kind of smile that would melt most of the room from 20 paces. Wow. Ianto realised he was holding his breath, gazing deep into pools of blue. He smiled back, still slightly fixated but managing not to stare so obviously.

"Erm, no. You're welcome to it! As long as you don't try and move it to the other end of the bar!" he joked, smiling at the attractive stranger. He suddenly felt self conscious but reminded himself to remain cool and remember his training.

"Thanks, it's been a crazy day and I am so tired! I've been in about 8 pubs looking for a seat and was starting to give up."

"I know the feeling, I've had a long day too – it seems like it's never going to end!"

"Well it must be over now? You're here, so obviously you're done with work, and it's Friday night – the weekend lies in wait" the man joked, his eyes subtly hinting to Ianto.

"Yes, I guess it is. Can I buy you a drink – welcome in the weekend?"

"Sounds great – I'll have whatever you're having."

Ianto felt more relaxed than he had all evening, although he was still somewhat on edge. Conversation started to flow between them as they chatted, flirted and people-watched from their slightly elevated position at the bar.

"Hot blonde, 10 'clock – she's eyeing you up"

"I think you'll find that actually it's you she's smiling at" Everyone is smiling at him it seems. Ianto marvelled at the way this charming man lit up the room when he laughed. He was confident and sexy, everything that Ianto felt he wasn't. He felt fairly sure they were flirting, but he never liked to assume. He sipped his now virtually empty pint and placed it back on the bar.

"So, do you have a name?" the stranger enquired.

Panic hit Ianto slightly. Remember your alias; it was only created this morning! But his mind went blank.

"Erm yes of course I do! Everyone...has a name. I'm, uh, Tom." He struggled...trying to hide his confused expression as he remembered his alias training. "Tom...what's my name? Shit!...Jones."

Oh no. Epic fail.

"Really? Tom Jones? And you're Welsh to boot?" he exclaimed, trying to stifle a laugh. "Well, I definitely didn't see that coming."

"I know, I know, my parents didn't think." Ianto tried to recover and get back on track. "And before you know it, you're Welsh, 15 years old and called Tom Jones. Let's just say there are easier things to live down in the playground." Ianto replied, starting to feel more relaxed as he eased into the alias.

The man smiled back cheekily. "Well, I guess...it's...not unusual?"

Ianto looked slightly bemused, but his expression failed to give much away.

"I'll just shut up now?"

"Good idea" Ianto tried to hide the smile on the edges of his lips. He turned away from him back to his drink, trying to mask his face. Don't blow it now.

Ianto heard him get up from his seat, and his stomach knotted in rejection and disappointment. Shit.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

He turned to see the now familiar pools of blue staring at him.

"Thought I'd start again. Without the bad jokes this time."

Ianto laughed, relieved.

"So what's your name? I think it's only polite that you tell me, now you've ridiculed mine and everything!" Ianto flirted shamelessly.

"It's James, James Hardcourt." The stranger smiled. "Nice to meet you - Tom Jones."

A/N: Things are looking up for Ianto! Please review!