Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood or any of the characters, except Lily. The BBC own Torchwood. If I did own TW there would be a lot more Janto. ;)
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A/N: Thanks for reviewing bbmcowgirl. I hope you like. I am a Janto fan but my past two fics where heavy Janto. I felt writing something different.
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Chapter 2 – Things Get Complicated.
I arrived at the Hub an hour early to avoid Ianto and so that he would have to be the awkward one to make the first move, or so I hoped.
I stopped just outside the Tourist Office. Jack had told me yesterday that this was the best way to enter. Very secure and hidden. My hand was about to touch the doorknob when Ianto opened the door. His eyes widened, clearly just as shocked I was. He immediately dropped his eyes and mumbled "Excuse me". He brushed past taking his strangely comforting smell of coffee and aftershave with him. The smell brought back the memory of our kiss from yesterday which I had been suppressing since then. My stomach fluttered and I let go of the breath I didn't know I was holding. I felt a bit apprehensive at the thought of having to talk to Jack…maybe, if he's still pissed off.
* * * *
The beginning of the day passed without any incidents. Ianto still hasn't spoke to me, I think he nodded once and that was only because I said thank you when he gave me a cup of tea. If he wasn't polite enough to talk to me then I wasn't going to bother either. Jack seemed happier today. My brain went into over-drive last night, thinking of all sorts of reasons Jack was angry with me. I had considered rational thoughts and some crazy thoughts that shouldn't be allowed brain space but out they came one ways.
I sat at my desk in the Hub, still nothing was happening. I was absent mended and I began to doodle randomly, I looked down at what I had drawn: a star tattoo I had always wanted but never found the time, a couple of boxes, a house and then, my eyes widened and I dropped the pen. I stared at what I had drawn for a while. How? What? When? What's going on? Okay so maybe I was exaggerating a little but I was shocked none the less. I had drawn a love heart, that's fine, my initials, still fine but strange and underneath I had written IJ, why? I didn't like Ianto, especially the way he blushed, or the way he smelled of coffee and aftershave or the way his kiss made me forget to breath and I felt dizzy and-
Oh God! I liked Ianto. Okay that's not too bad; I'm feeling rather dramatic today… Liking Ianto, not that a big a deal but it seems strange that Jack seemed to like me, then I get along great with Ianto and Jack goes moody. Ianto wouldn't let me ask Jack what the problem was and now Ianto and I have fallen out he seems to like me again. Maybe, just maybe? They have and have had some sort of fling and now Jack is jealous… Oh I've truly gone mad now. That's it, bye bye Lily, off to the mad house. I sighed and put my head in my hands. I really need to learn to stop my brain from wandering away. I began to concentrate a bit more on my surroundings, truly looking at the Hub since I arrived yesterday.
I missed talking to Ianto, even though I have only spoken to him for a few…hours. I looked about again and noticed Gwen reading the local Cardiff Newsletter or so the title told me. I began scanning the front of it. It mentioned something about the Tourist office near the Millennium Centre in Cardiff…right above us. Gwen sat it down on her desk.
"Gwen?" Oh crap I sound nervous. Oh good grief she is still smiling. Fair enough smiling is good but constantly, I wonder if she smiles in her sleep, again constantly. Damn! Brain is wandering again.
"Lilly? Was there something you wanted love?" I looked up and tried to re-arrange my features into something which would pass for normal, no such luck, I think. I look to my left where a small chuckle had caught my attention. There is Ianto holding an empty tray, I automatically look down and a cup of tea is there, oh come on! I'm not that un-observant surely?
I look up at Ianto who was still chuckling, he notices me frowning at him slightly. His eyes widen and he blushed slightly. Without a word swiftly walks away. I shook my head slightly and turned to look at Gwen who was not smiling. I know shock right? She was grinning (!), until she noticed something behind me. I turn around a bit to notice Jack staring at me, mouth hanging open slightly. Out of the corner of my eye Gwen shrugs at Jack. I'm frowning again, only a little bit though, at Jack, I'm going to end up with premature wrinkles! He snapped his mouth shut (with an audible snap) and walked away. This whole mysterious behaviour thing, it keeps reoccurring. Maybe it's a Cardiff thing. It is really annoying though…
"Sorry Love, what was it you wanted?" Gwen's question snaps me out of my train of thought. I have to turn again.
"Um…yes. The...uh...Cardiff Newsletter. I was wondering could I have a look at if you're finished."
"Of course, normally Jack just takes things and Ianto well he never asks. Poor thing." She was silent and for once not smiling but more in thought. She brought it over to me. I was about to point out that I would have come and got it but Jack called her to his office before any words got out.
I read the over the first few articles more of them in Welsh, I can't read Welsh. I flipped it over and there was a letter section at least I think that's what it was because it was all in Welsh, there was one that wasn't. And whoever wrote it, I didn't know because they had signed it anonymous, was quite angry. It read;
Dear Sir or Madame,
I have just written in the complain to you about
the shambles which this city calls its tourist
office at the Millennium Centre. I have checked
3 times in the one day to see wither it was open and when it finally was open the person behind the counter told me it was about to close for the day and ushered me out! You'd think it was the front door for the government spy headquarters!
I had to re-read it several times before anything had sunk in. I could feel it rising from my stomach and it eventually bubbled to my lips and I began to laugh. A lot. Gwen at the moment appeared from Jack's office and looked at me sort of quizzically. I couldn't do anything but try and stifle the laughing. I managed to quieten it down to the occasional giggle. Gwen looked at me sort of funny again, shook her head and walked down towards the entrance to the archives. She returned to minutes later, she walked straight past me and went straight up to Jack's office; he was already waiting on her. He opened the door and she quite simply said no. Jack not seemingly being satisfied with this answer called her back. Gwen sighed and rolled her eyes at me before turning around to smile cautiously at Jack. They both went into his office; the door wasn't shut properly and snatches of conversation drifted down.
"Do you think he?" Jack's voice was anxious about something but he was trying to disguise it with nonchalant ease about it.
"I'm not sure" "she" "clearly".
"What about"
"You? He didn't"
From the sound of Jack's voice he was clearly getting pissed off.
"Fine!" he eventually snapped. I think Gwen must have tried to say something else because suddenly snapped again.
"Save it Gwen!" I had to admit Gwen had courage because she snapped back.
"Fine be miserable and sulk! You are only pushing him away further!"
Gwen looked angry when she came walking down the stairs. She saw me watching her, I hadn't realised my mouth had dropped until she slightly patted her own chin to tell me to pick mine up. My brain had stopped working again. What is wrong with me today was my only logical thought. Hmmm back to the Ianto situation. I think this letter of complaint into the newsletter was the perfect ice-breaker.
* * * *
A little after lunch, I actually had some today, although after Gwen and Jack's "discussion" as she herself had put it. I wasn't up to eating much. Ianto gave everyone a fresh up of tea or coffee and I made a point of trying to look into his eyes but he completely avoided mine. Time to put my second part into action. I walked down to the archives holding the newsletter behind my back. I tried to walk as silently as I could but it is rather hard when you have the grace of a stampeding wilder beast. Okay so it was an exaggeration but I still don't have very much grace. Ianto looked up from a particularly large file. Upon seeing it was me he placed it back into the Archive drawer and began to walk towards me. I opened my mouth to speak but he mumbled
"Jack needs me" and tried to walk past me. This time it was my turn to grab his wrist and pull him around, which I did. He looked rather shocked when he ended up face to face with me. I suddenly felt full of confidence, something that doesn't happen to me that often. Every cell in my body felt positively alive, although that could be because I was standing so close to Ianto. I suppose Ianto knew he couldn't put off the inevitable, so he stood still and still avoided looking into my eyes, so instead he addressed the floor. It was only then did I let his wrist go, although it must be said I felt a little bit of sadness from letting go of his wrist.
"Yes?"
"I have a complaint" My voice sounded as confident and as positive as I felt.
"You should see Jack, he's the boss"
"No I shouldn't, seeing as it's about you directly"
This time he looked directly into his eyes, it was as though I could see right to his soul and he could see mine.
"What?" His voice level raised above the whisper he had just been using.
"Yes. Here it is"
I held out the newsletter for him to take.
"The Cardiff Newsletter" He said voice dripping with sarcasm. I grinned at him.
"Yup" I pointed out the letter and he read it. He looked from the newsletter to me and from me to the newsletter. All the while I grinned at him feeling a bit like a Cheshire Cat.
"Hmmm, that is a problem" I felt a little but light headed which was strange because I don't normally. I think its Ianto's coffee and aftershave smell. It's amazing!
Ianto re-read the letter several times and seemed to mull it over. I tried to be patient but it was quickly growing shorter by the minute.
"Lily? I have a proposition" My eyes snapped up to look at Ianto from where they had been staring at the floor.
"Really? What?" I hadn't expected that. I was hoping to have a joke about this, to break the ice., not have him take it seriously. Which it probably was a serious matter. Ianto cleared his throat loudly, to bring me out of my slight daydream.
"Well, I've thought about it a lot and I've decided I can't keep away from you"
I'm quite sure my jaw is inches off the ground.
"You what?"
"No I'm serious, ever since we kissed, I've been thinking about you and it's a very hard thing not to think about you. Believe me I have tried. But that's not the point. Please allow me to take you out to dinner? He looked sort of scared. My brain froze and my eyes widened. Another thing I did not expect. Word's came tumbling out before I could stop them.
"What about Jack?" Ianto's eyes widened as well.
"What about him?" He was trying to sound aloof but it was not working.
"You seem to have some sort of thing" Ianto just sort of sighed but eventually nodded.
"Yes we did. But I'm finishing it, it's never going to be serious" His words came out wrong because his hand flew to his mouth.
"You want it to be serious between you and him?" I almost chocked on the words. I was right. My crazy theory was right they had been seeing each other. What is it with m and picking gay men, seriously. Not that there is anything wrong with them it's just that I always seem to like them more than friends. I hut myself on the forehead and was about to do it again when Ianto stopped me.
"What are you doing???" I pulled away from him and started pacing back and forth. All the pieces were falling into place. I began thinking out aloud. More talking to myself than Ianto.
"I know. You love Jack but he doesn't feel the same about you. Along comes me being as observant as ever. Jack sees you like me and gets jealous but instead of winning you over, he pushes you away. That's what Gwen meant!!!!!"
This time it was Ianto's turn for a jaw drop moment. His eyes were wide in shock.
"You didn't notice when I put a cup of tea in front of you earlier on but you've been here what a day and half and manage to work that out!!!"
"I was right" My words came out, barely a whisper. Ianto nodded slightly.
"I still want to go out with you Lily" Ianto voice sounded like, it's hard to explain, like there was no hope that I would say yes.
"Hmmmm, can I think about it for a while?" Ianto looked up at me, his blue eyes positively sparkling.
"Yes, of course, as long as you need. No rush at all"
"I guess I'll see you later then" I walked over slowly to where he was, kissed him lightly on the cheek and left silently as I could. I couldn't turn back to look and see what I had done.
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A/N: Well erm that's it, hoped you like. I know I've already said that, lol. Please read and review?
Love Sam xx
