CH 3 We Meet Again

It was nearly 10:30 the next morning when Ianto rolled out of bed. Lisa had already left for work. He made his way to the kitchen to make some coffee. He noticed the yellow sticky note stuck to the picture of Jack Harkness on the refrigerator. He pulled it off and read, Thanks Babe, I love you! See you tonight, followed by a smiley face. He smiled as he tossed the paper into the bin. He made his coffee and got ready for work. He made it into the office around noon.

He busied himself with some phone calls that needed to be completed and checked over some invoices for an upcoming event. He was jotting down some notes when his pen ran out of ink. He pulled open the drawer to get another and was greeted by his picture of Jack Harkness. He pulled it out and read over it again and smiled. He stuck the picture back in the drawer and logged on to his computer. He searched "Jack Harkness." There were thousands of hits. He began looking at what he found. There were links to movies he had been in, television shows, CD's, books, videos from his performances, pictures; the list went on and on. The more Ianto read, the more impressed he became. The guy was obviously talented and kept very busy. Ianto was lost in his thoughts when there was a knock on his office door.

"Come in." He shouted.

"Hi Ianto. You have a package." The young woman brought a box over and sat it on Ianto's desk.

"Thank you."

He looked at the box curiously. He wasn't expecting anything that he could think of. He pulled out a pair of scissors and ran them along the taped seam. Opening the box, he found another box, wrapped in a black and gold foil gift wrap. There was a small card attached. He opened the envelope and read, 'Ianto, Thanks again for your help last night. We couldn't have done it without you. Please accept this with my deepest gratitude. XO Jack. P.S. If you need any help with this, I'm always available.' Ianto unwrapped the box to find a bottle of Glenlivet. He once again found himself smiling.

Jack had gotten very little sleep. He couldn't keep his mind off of Ianto Jones. He had never believed in love at first sight, but he was smitten. He needed to know more about this gorgeous Welshman he had met.

At about two o'clock Owen showed up to talk about some interviews he had scheduled. Jack was doing a couple of television appearances to talk about the charity event he was participating in the next week. After discussing all of the business matters, Jack had an assignment for Owen.

"Owen, I want you to find out everything you can about Ianto Jones."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean like where he lives, how long he has lived there, how long he has worked at the Millennium Centre, where he worked before that, family, relationships, you know, everything."

"Sounds a little stalker-ish, Jack."

"I'm not stalking, I'm just interested." Jack gave Owen a grin.

"Yeah, alright. But I think you're wasting your time. He is totally straight."

Jack just continued to smile. "Not for you to worry about my friend. Oh, and send me that picture you took of us last night."

"Okay Jack. Don't forget that I won't be there on Tuesday. Tosh has a doctor's appointment. We are having an ultrasound to find out the sex of the baby."

"What are you hoping for?"

"It doesn't matter; it's just kind of exciting to know. You say 'he' or 'she' instead of 'it'. It will make it easier to narrow down the names. Let me tell you, that has been a real issue so far."

"Well, Jack is always a good name if it's a boy." He grinned.

"Ha ha. I'm sure we will be able to come up with something better than that."

"Ooooo, that stings!"

"You can name all of your progeny after yourself: Jack Jr., Jack II, Jack III, Jack IV. Sounds like something you would do."

Jack puffed out his chest in an indignant gesture. "What? It's a strong name!"

"Yeah, yeah. I've gotta go. You aren't the only client I have you know."

"Okay. Give Tosh my love."

Later that evening he received the picture on his mobile that Owen had taken of him and Ianto. Jack sat looking at the picture, mesmerized by the gorgeous Welshman and thinking that they made a truly handsome couple. Over the next week he found himself looking at the picture again and again. He was becoming consumed with the younger man.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Ianto was sitting on the sofa watching some television when Lisa came home from work. After removing her coat and dropping her handbag, she made her way over to Ianto. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down into his lap and gave her a kiss. "Hey Baby. How was work?"

"It was good. Nothing very exciting today. How about you?" She queried.

"Same."

"Oh, I wanted to ask you about Jack Harkness. What was he like? Was he cocky?"

Ianto smiled. "No, he wasn't cocky. As a matter of fact, he was extremely nice. I was pleasantly surprised. He seemed very genuine and he had a great group of people working with him. He invited Bowen and me to their get-together at the St. David's after the show."

"Oh, how posh. So you are hobnobbing with stars now." She teased.

Ianto rolled his eyes. "That's just it; he didn't behave like a lot of stars do. He was just a regular guy."

"Did you get to see any of his show?"

"Yeah, I was actually able to watch most of it. He is a very charismatic performer. Not really the kind of music I would go for, but he was really good at what he did."

She playfully responded. "Maybe next time you can get me in to meet him since you are such good mates now."

"I doubt there will be a 'next time'. I don't think he has any more concerts scheduled here."

Lisa sighed, "Oh well. At least you got me the picture." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him before hopping up to go shower.

"I'm going to get takeaway while you shower."

He grabbed his coat and took off to get some Chinese, thinking of Jack Harkness the entire time. And it wasn't the first time. It seemed that nearly every day since he had met the man his thoughts would go to him at some point during the day. As a matter of fact, he had spent several afternoons in his office watching various videos of the man on the internet. Each time he was left with a smile and a warm feeling.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Tuesday morning. Jack was looking forward to his day. Not only was he participating in a charity event for one of his favorite charities, it was at the Millennium Centre where one Ianto Jones worked. He was looking forward to seeing the gorgeous Welshman again. He had thought of little else since he met the man the previous week. Owen had gathered quite a bit of information for him. Even though some of the information he received revealed that Ianto had been with his current girlfriend, Lisa, for nearly five years, he wasn't ready to give up his pursuit of the younger man. There was just something there that Jack couldn't deny and wasn't willing to let go.

He stood looking in the mirror. He had changed his shirt at least five times. He wanted to look his best. He always paid attention to his appearance, but he really wanted to make an impression today. The charity event was a casual affair, so he didn't want to over dress, but he wanted to look good. He finally settled on a cornflower blue button-up. He couldn't believe how anxious he was about seeing Ianto again; it was like he was a boy going on his first date all over again.

Ianto was looking forward to a fairly routine day at work; nothing major going on, just a charity luncheon that he was overseeing. These things usually ran smoothly and had few complications. He moved about the facility checking on the details, making sure things were as they should be. He was satisfied with things on the floor and was heading to the kitchen to check on the catering service when the emcee for the function announced their next guest.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please help me welcome one of our biggest supporters, Jack Harkness!"

Ianto spun around to see Jack take the stage to an excited round of applause from the crowd. He stood frozen in his place as Jack spoke to the audience about the importance of the cause and their continued support. Ianto watched in awe as Jack worked the crowd. At some point during his presentation he caught sight of Ianto and their eyes locked for a brief moment. When Jack finished, he exited the stage and made his way over to Ianto.

"Ianto, I was hoping I would see you today." Jack stuck his hand out to Ianto.

Ianto took Jack's hand. "Hi Jack. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I work with several charities. You know, I not only contribute but like to lend my celebrity whenever I can to help gain them support."

"That's very admirable Jack."

"I just feel it's the least I can do. I am so lucky to be able to do what I love and get paid an insane amount, I feel it's the least I can do to pay a little forward."

"You are a good man, Jack Harkness."

"Don't let Owen hear you say that. He seems to think I already have a big ego. What do you think?"

"Well, maybe just a bit." Ianto grinned.

"Hey!"

"Where is Owen?"

"Oh, he's not here. He doesn't come to everything with me. He has other clients and with the baby coming he is trying to spend more time home with Tosh too. I really need to get a PA. Owen has always done more than an agent usually does and I have gotten used to it. Do you have any great resources for PA's?"

"Umm, I know a few. If you wanted to give me a little more information on what you're looking for I could keep an eye out."

"Yeah, that would be great. I'll talk to Owen and give you a call. Do you have a card?"

Ianto reached into his breast pocket and pulled out one of his cards. He held it out and Jack's hand covered his as he took it. Ianto could have sworn he felt a tingle when Jack touched his hand. His eyes shot up to Jack's. Jack looked back into his eyes as he let his hand linger.

"Thanks." Jack kept his eyes locked on Ianto's but finally pulled his hand away slowly and placed the card in his pocket.

"So, you work all hours, night and day, huh?"

"Yeah, whatever is needed. There is always something going on, a wedding, a concert, a play, corporate meetings. You name it, we handle it. I actually really like it. With so many different types of events I never get bored and there is always a new challenge."

"I like a challenge too." Jack's tone was suggestive and Ianto wasn't sure how to respond. He almost felt like a kid with a crush and felt his cheeks flush.

When he finally found his voice, he tried to give it back just as it had been given. "I'll bet you do."

Jack responded with a huge lopsided grin. He liked this banter with the young Welshman. Maybe there was potential for something here.

"Jack, it's nice to see you, but I do need to get back to my duties."

"Of course, and I need to get back to my table. It was nice seeing you again too Ianto."

Ianto started to walk away and then turned back. "By the way Jack, that color looks really good on you."

Jack's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." Ianto smiled and turned and walked away.

As Ianto walked to the kitchen he couldn't help but notice the warm feeling he had. 'Okay, what's going on Ianto? You are getting turned on by a man and if that's not enough, you're flirting! Get a grip man!' He continued to chide himself as he checked on things in the kitchen.

He had never felt attracted to a man before, but there was no mistaking the way Jack was making him feel. He had tried to rationalize it away all week since the first night they met, telling himself it was because he was a celebrity, a "star." But honestly, Ianto hadn't even heard of him before meeting him last week, so being star struck had nothing to do with it. How was it possible? He liked women. He loved Lisa. How could he be attracted to a man? This was just crazy. He didn't know why he was worrying about it; he probably wouldn't ever see the guy again anyway.

Back at his table Jack was finding it difficult to keep up with the conversation because his thoughts were consumed by Ianto Jones. After several failed attempts at feigning interest in the conversation he decided what he had to do.

"Would you all excuse me?" Jack left the table in search of the man that had possessed him.

The hand on Ianto's shoulder sent a tingle down his spine. He turned to see who it was.

"Ianto?"

"Hi Jack. Is there a problem?"

"Oh, no, no. I was just wondering if you had a few minutes."

"Sure." Ianto led him down the corridor to a small room. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, um, I was wondering if you would like to go on a date."

"Excuse me?" Ianto let out an incensed huff.

"You know; dinner, a movie. A date." Jack had a nervous, almost shy smile on his face.

Ianto was becoming flustered. "Yes, I know what a date is but why would you ask me on a date?"

"Well, you seem like a nice guy, you're smart, creative, hard-working, can think on your feet. And you're hot." Jack gave him an ear to ear smile.

If Ianto wasn't turning red before from being flustered, he definitely was now out of embarrassment. "No, that's not what I mean. I'm not gay. Why would you think that?"

"Oh. I didn't necessarily think you were gay. I don't really define people based on who they have sex with. We as a species limit ourselves in too many ways. Why does it have to be one way or the other? There are so many interesting and amazing things about men and women, why limit our experiences? I have a great appreciation of the human body and the absolute pleasure it can bring. But it's not just about sex, we limit ourselves in many ways based on what our families want or what they expect or what society says we should do or say. I want to get as much out of this life as I can and I can't see limiting myself to half of the population because society says that's the way it is. Sometimes we find love where we least expect it."

'Oh, good job Ianto! Your childish fawning has made the man think you're interested in him. What are you going to do now you prat?'

"Yes, well, um, I have a girlfriend." 'There. How's that?' he thought.

"Lisa."

"Yes, Lisa."

"Okay Ianto. I wasn't sure if that was serious." Jack lied. "I'm sorry if I offended you or anything because that certainly wasn't my intention. So, friends?" Jack stuck out his hand.

Ianto accepted the outstretched hand. "Yes, yes. No problem."

"Good." Jack grinned and bound away in his usual cheerful demeanor.

After the charity event was over Jack went by Tosh and Owen's. Tosh greeted him at the door. He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. They walked into the living room where Owen was seated.

"Hey Jack. How was the charity luncheon?"

"Outstanding!"

His was response seemed a little excessive considering the event. "Oh yeah? What was so great about it?"

"Ianto Jones." Jack gave a big goofy smile like a teenager.

"Geez, Jack. What, you got a shag then?"

"No. But I did get to spend some more time talking to him. Actually, I asked him out on a date."

Owen's tone was incredulous, "And he agreed?"

"Well, no. He told me he wasn't gay. But I can tell there is something there, between us."

"Christ Jack, the guy has a girlfriend of five years and tells you he's not gay; what more do you need to hear from him?"

Jack got a bit of a pout on his face. "He's a great guy Owen, maybe we can be friends."

Owen just rolled his eyes. Tosh sat quietly across from Jack listening to the conversation without contributing.

"Besides, I talked to him about personal assistants. I thought he might have some good leads considering his job."

"Well, now you are saying something that is important. The sooner you do that the better."

Jack looked over at Tosh. "So Tosh, what are we having?"

Owen placed his arm around his wife's shoulder. "WE are having a boy."

"That's great guys! Congratulations!"

Tosh finally joined in. "It was amazing Jack. Would you like to see the ultrasound pictures?"

"Absolutely!"

She went over to her handbag and pulled out the pictures, going to sit by Jack. Holding them up, she began telling Jack what he saw. "See here, this is his little hand, and look at his face; you can see his little smile! And this, this is his little nob."

"Tosh! Don't you know that you never call someone's manhood 'little'?" Jack teased her. She just rolled her eyes.

"He's amazing guys. I can't wait to meet him."

The friends chatted a while longer before Jack rose to leave.

"Okay Owen, I'll see you tomorrow at around ten, right?"

"Yeah, see you then."

"Goodnight Tosh."

"Goodnight Jack."

When Jack got home, he pulled Ianto's business card out of his pocket. He got out his mobile, putting in Ianto's number and writing a short message before hitting "send".

Ianto sat at his desk at the Centre finishing up some work. His mobile began vibrating and he took it out of his pocket. When he saw the caller ID, he smiled: Jack Harkness. It was a text message with an attachment. He read the message: 'Damn! What a good looking couple!' He opened the picture. It was the picture Owen had taken of the two of them the night they met. As Ianto sat looking at it with a stupid smile across his face, he had to agree that they were a handsome pair. And even though they weren't a "couple" as Jack had said, they really did look like they belonged together. They both looked comfortable and happy and like they had known one another forever. Before placing the phone back into his pocket he sent Jack back a text simply saying 'Thanks.'