~~2
The Hub was quiet when he got back. Gwen was bent over Toshiko's shoulder, the two of them babbling energetically about whatever was on the screen. Neither woman acknowledged him, for which he was grateful. Passing up into his office, Jack saw Owen hunched over a microscope. Probably analyzing the specimens from the last alien "invasion", half a dozen ankle-tall puffballs that exploded into clouds of spores when touched. He hoped the results of the tests wouldn't show any long-lasting effects from the spores. He really didn't want to have to deal with further complications now.
The spurned gift was gone from Ianto's desk. Jack stopped a moment, wondering where it was, if Ianto had gone so far as to toss it out. And where was that angry archivist anyway? It wasn't like him to avoid an argument. A quick glance at his watch told him if there was to be an argument, maybe he should be instituting his promise to Rhys, as well as letting the others off as well.
He hung his body halfway out his office door and gave an attention-getting whistle. "Hey! Everyone, off home. That's an order."
Owen was the first to react. He rarely questioned his boss's orders, especially ones of dismissal. Putting away his slides and microscope, he had grabbed his coat, with a hasty "Ta-Ra!" before the women had finished processing the command.
"What's the occasion?" Gwen asked.
"Think of me as Cupid." Jack's grin turned into a scowl as Gwen threatened to break into laughter again. "One snigger and the offer's gone."
"Not laughing," she muttered behind her hand. But she quickly took off, waving.
"You too, Tosh. Go find some beautiful soul to bedevil tonight."
The young woman didn't blush. "Are you sure?"
"I doubt I'll be doing anything distracting tonight."
Her eyes told Jack that she had heard about the gift. Damn.
The cog door whooped once more as Toshiko slipped out, the sound finally echoing into silence. And it was silence. Utter silence. He guessed he should have checked to see if Ianto was still in the complex before he sent everyone home.
He went to his computer and ran a quick scan, floor by floor. It took him a few moments but he finally found a presence in the one spot he didn't expect. His eyebrow quirked. With hands stuffed casually in his pockets he trotted down through the many floors to the gun range.
Industrial ear muffs were hanging outside the heavy soundproof door. He grabbed a pair, slapping them over his ears as he opened the door carefully. Gunfire, muffled but distinct. He stepped inside and stood in the back of the room, watching.
Ianto stood at the loading table a few metres away, legs wide, body half turned, arm out. Shot after shot rang out, rapid fire, as he swung his arm back and forth between two targets. Even from this distance, Jack could see the new scope secured under the muzzle of the firing weapon. He tried not to smile. This wasn't the victory.
As it often did, watching Ianto unobserved made his breath catch. He loved the movement of him, his long, graceful limbs, his frugal, restrained motions, the delicate, oh so effective hands.
The shots ceased and the echoes drifted away. Instinctively Ianto knew Jack was there. He ejected the empty ammo chamber, flicked the safety on and put the gun down mindfully on the table before he turned his head, peeling off his ear muffs.
"Hey."
"Hey, yourself." Jack dropped his ear protection on the floor and took a few steps closer, hands back in his pockets, going for casual. He knew he had to apologize but the words were sticking in his throat. Finally not wanting Ianto to give in first – unfairly or not, he knew Ianto would apologize – Jack opened his mouth.
"I'm sorry," he blurted, then held his breath. He saw Ianto grin and his heart flipped over.
"World's not ending."
"Wow, who knew?" Jack grinned back.
"Might make you do that more often, then." It was meant as a joke, but it still stung.
Jack sucked in his breath, accepting the hard truth.
"Yeah, well, I'm sorry for that too," he admitted shyly.
"Okay, all's forgiven." Ianto stepped closer, not quite reaching into an embrace, but thigh close enough to brush against Jack's hip. "The scope works great and thank you. I feel like I've got a fully functional weapon now."
Jack's eyebrows shot up, unable to resist the suggestive daring in that comment. "Oh, your weapon's always been fully functional in my eyes."
That was what dipped Ianto close enough to hug. Threading his arms through Jack's, even before he could take his hands out of his pockets, Ianto took advantage of the head start and gave the salacious captain's arse a bountiful squeeze as he leaned in for a kiss.
"Feel like shooting off a few rounds?" he whispered into Jack's mouth, using his breath and tongue to entice.
"God, yes."
"Where are the others?" Ianto's hands were already busy, tugging loose Jack's shirt, fingers sliding up and under, giving in to the temptation of skin before working on the buttons.
"Gone. We have the whole place to ourselves." Jack fumbled at Ianto's tie and collar. It must be a new shirt, the buttons were stiff. He resorted to using teeth as well as fingers, making Ianto laugh.
"Here's good." The force with which Ianto tugged at Jack's trousers brought them both to the ground.
"Oh yeah!"
It always amazed Jack that Ianto never fussed about place. He rolled over and although the stone floor brought a sharp gasp as it touched Ianto's bare arse, it didn't stop his frantic grasping. In fact it seemed to excite him further. The man's body was a furnace, heating them both and they were both soon sweating. Heat and cold, the rough and slick smooth, cloth and skin were all a heady mix.
There was no time for removal of clothes, just shoved off, down and up far enough for access, the tangle against wrists and ankles creating a new sensation of need and struggle. Jack could feel a trickle of anger still left in Ianto as he was pushed and gripped in ways that would leave a lesser man bruised. He pushed back and Ianto's rough laugh told him it was the right move.
As painful as the arguments were, this was good, damn good. He could feel the joy of it burbling up in his gut and he laughed too.
"Do me, come on," he grunted, daring.
Ianto twisted, his legs long enough, that even though his ankles were bound by his dropped trousers, he pried Jack's legs open with his knee and thigh. He grasped Jack's cock, hand wet from sweat only, squeezing and stroking firmly. He saved his breath for action, rarely goading or encouraging with words. Jack knew him, knew what he wanted and needed in these moments. Ianto checked as he realized it was Jack's inability to know what he wanted that had gotten them to this point of make-up sex.
"What?" Jack instantly noticing the brief halt.
"How," Ianto could barely concentrate enough to get the sentence out as Jack's hands didn't stop what they were doing, "do you know so damn well ... ooh shit! ... what I want and need in this, but not other things?"
Jack paused for a moment. "Backwards education, I guess."
That had them both laughing, easing the anger, but not the intensity. Instead of rough and fast, Ianto held Jack down and took him long and deep and slow, drawing it out until Jack's howls nearly deafened them in the echoing chamber. He loved taking him like this, fist on his cock, pulling him over the edge while he planted himself deep, finding that hot core inside that seemed to light his cock like a match head, until he felt he was shooting every fibre of his being into Jack's body.
They melted into the floor, breathless, unmoving. Jack was always the one to recover first.
"Great little weapon you have there," he murmured.
"Little?" Ianto sat up, incensed until he saw Jack's grin. He stroked his nails slow and deliberate along the underside of Jack's cock making him arch. "The under barrel helps my aim," he purred.
The captain shucked out of his clothes, sitting easily on the stone floor, knees up, elbows loose. "Well, I've been set straight," and here he grinned at the pun, "on Valentine gifts."
"By whom?" Eyes wary, a flush crept up Ianto's cheeks. He never liked Jack discussing him with anyone.
"I ... er ... asked Rhys what I did wrong."
"You could have waited until I cooled down to tell you."
"Just so I know his advice was right, what would you have said?"
Feeling a little uncomfortable discussing the advisability of gifts, Ianto tucked himself between Jack's legs, leaning his back against the tall man's smooth, still damp chest, wrapping the long arms around his body. Jack's fingers unconsciously stroked Ianto's nipple.
"If it were anyone else," Ianto admitted, "I might have said you don't buy a weapon on a day of love ..."
"That's what he said! Although I'd like to argue it's not a weapon, as such, it's an aid for a weapon."
"... But, I know you," he shrugged, "and I know me. It's a cool gift. It's just so ... utilitarian, not romantic. Sorry." He hugged Jack's arms to himself.
"Fair enough. Lesson learned."
"You've been in ..." Ianto cut himself off and Jack was sure he knew what the man had started to say, "situations where you gave romantic gifts, haven't you?"
"I've been married twice. Both a long time ago." He could feel Jack shrug. "No excuse, though. I fucked up and I'm willing to make amends."
Ianto snuggled, leaning up to kiss the bottom of Jack's chin. "Amends made and acknowledged."
"Unh-uh. That was just make-up sex. Proper gift is to come."
Ianto pulled out of Jack's embrace, turning a suspicious gaze on him. "What are you scheming?"
"Scheming?"
"Plotting, hatching, calculating ..."
"Good god, such negative connotations. I am intending to set things right, Ianto, not setting nefarious plans in motion."
Ianto started to assemble his clothes, hitching his pants back up around his waist but taking everything else off and folding them neatly over his arm. He was starting to feel uncomfortably obliged to accept bigger and better baubles like a kept boy and he hoped to nip this overcompensation off at the bud.
"Well thank you," he kissed Jack warmly, "but there's no need. I love my gift." He padded over to the table and took his gun, making sure to keep it from brushing against his clothes until he had cleaned it.
Jack watched him go, again feeling thwarted. He had something planned, something better, frivolous and indulgent and Ianto was again snubbing his gift. Could he do anything right?
