I'm so sorry it took me that long to come up with this. I hope you will like it though. Please R&R. Sorry about the mistakes again I tried to correct them but I must have missed some of them though. Big thanks to Outerspacegirl for her gift, you should read her fic : A military coat. It's a nice Janto and I think it will please her if you tell her what you think about it, I Love it personally ;)
Merry Christmas
xoxo
Chapter 4 : Before the Show.
Ianto groaned as his ringing phone disturbed his fabulous dream.
"'Ello ?" he said with a sleepy voice.
"Hi Ianto. It's Tosh, did I wake you ?" she asked guiltly.
" Yes but don't worry. I had to get up anymay" he replied
As much as he was annoyed he just couldn't be upset with Tosh. She was his bestfriend and had always been her for him.
Both being geeks and sharing the same dream had help them during Uni. People could be cruel when they wanted and the death of his mother had shattered Ianto. Tosh and Mark had been here to pick up the pieces at least.
"Okay. I need your help. A friend of mine is diffusing is new movie in two days and we want to pay him a little trick. We need a singer to serenade him. Can you be my life savior ?" she asked shyly.
Even if he was on the phone, he could picture her pleading eyes and her adorable pout.
"Tosh you know I don't want you set me up on jobs." he sighed.
He didn't want to have this argument again. He wanted, needed, to do it by himself. To prove his father he wasn't a failure and shut him up for good.
When he was young, his father, Ifan Jones had always been his superhero. He was a good man, a master tailor. Ianto had always admired him. They had been a family once, Ianto, his sister Rhianon and his parents. But they broke appart when his mother died. Then, Ifan had started to drink and lost his shop. Not only had Ianto lost his mother, but he also had lost his superhero that day. Ifan had became a cruel man, comsumed by grief and anger. Ianto never did enough or never did the right thing for his father. He was useless as he often said. And leaving Uni to try to become a singer hadn't help to improve his opinion on his son. Since then Ianto had never gave up proving him wrong.
"It's not what I'm trying to do. I know you want to do it by yourself. I understant, really I do. I just need a great singer and a good looking man. A gay one would be a plus. Come on Ianto do that for me please" she pleaded. He sighed.
"Come on Ianto. It's been so long since we last saw each other" she continued.
'Oh god' Ianto thought, she was using her sweet voice 'I'm so done'
" Okay" he said, defeated.
" Yes !" she squealed.
He laughed, knowing her she was probably dancing happily, wherever she was.
" Thank you, thank you, thank you" she chanted
"Only because it's you"
"Thanks ! Knowing you and that wicked sens of humour of yours it's gona be so funny"
"I'll try my best. But Tosh, only good looking ?" he asked a sly smile on his face.
" You're gorgeous, you daft sod !" she chuckled.
"Thank you"
"God you're so vain. I'm sure you'll get on well with Owen Harper" she said faking an annoyed voice.
"Really ?" He asked "How is he ?" he continued with that tone Tosh knew too well. That voice that meant 'Am I gonna get laid ?'
"Hands off Jones, he isn't gay" she replied. "And before you ask no he isn't the kind of guy who sleep with men and then say he isn't gay anyway and that it's just sex. If you try anything I even think he is gonna kick you in the balls" she laughed.
But Ianto knew her, is wasn't an innocent voice. There was something behind it, something she didn't managed to hide very well.
" Am I detecting jealousy and possesivness in that pretty voice of yours ? I think I am. Don't worry, he is all yours. You could have told me you know, given that I'm your bestfriend and all" he said laugher filling his voice.
"I'm not jealous nor possesive !" she exclaimed.
"And there is nothing to say" she continued, sounding a bit disapointed
"If he can't see how great and beautiful you are then he is a fool. And I'm gonna take an immence pleasure embarrass the shit out of him" he promised.
"Thanks. When can you come to London ?" she asked after a few seconds.
"If you want I can come tomorrow in the afternoon. I have to work in the morning then I'll be off for a few days, mabe I can spend them in London so we can hang out together ? Like in the old days ?"
"Yeah that'd be great. I have to introduce to Gwen. She is our agent. You'll see, you're gonna love her, she is Welsh as well"
"Okay, nice" he chuckled.
"I'll get you at the station and you'll stay at my place"
"I can stay in a hotel you know" he sudgested.
"Don't be daft" she smiled.
"Right so I'll see you tomorrow then. I'm sorry. I've got to go, work to do" he sighed.
"Yeah see you tomorrow Ianto."
"Love you, bye."
"Love you too" she chuckled.
Ianto got up and prepared himself before going to work.
Back Home, he packed his things, checking twice if everything was in the right place. He wasn't maniac really, he just...liked when everything was clean and well organised where he could find it easily. Like his DVD collection ! Alphabatised and organised by kind... and year... Okay... maybe he was slightly maniac... but well it wasn't such a flaw, was it ?
"No, it's not Jones. Relax" Ianto told himself.
" Right, now you are talking to yourself out loud. Congrats Jones. You're definitivly going crazy" he sighed.
Jokes apart he was actually nervous. Tosh's friends were all famous ad talented. He didn't want to humiliate himself in front of people who could actually help him. He had to make a good impression. That's why he chose to wear a suit. He had pack his black suit with his red shirt and a black tie, maybe that was too much but anyway he took it, he would choose to wear it or not later.
He checked one last time his bag before going to bed. He was exausted but couldn't sleep like every night. He sighed retreaving the same note he looked at every single night from underneath his pillow. Why couldn't he just forget him for Christ sake ! 'Come on Ianto, stop brooding over him like a lovesick teenage girl. You're pathetic' he slapped himself mentaly before dropping the note in his nightstand's drawer and closing it. He closed his eyes and let the fatigue of the last days washed over him. Minutes later, soft breaths filled the room, he was fast asleep.
"Don't you think you're gonna cause a riot by getting me at the station ?" Ianto asked, trying to see his friend through the crowd on the docks.
"Don't care. I won' let you, poor little Welshman, get lost in a big English City" she said with a serious tone, though he could picture her smile.
"Oi! Us, Welsh never get lost" he replied playfully. She laughed
"Don't want to take a risk" she replied.
"Where are you ?" he asked, stepping on the tip of his toes, trying to look over the crowd.
"Turn around"
He did as he was told and suddenly his arms were full with a petite Japanese woman. He sighed happily and hugged her back, kissing the side of her head. Thy were so caught up with each other that they didn't see the pap taking picture of them, a few meters away. Se stepped back and he kissed her cheek. For someone who didn't know them,it looked like an… intimate… loving gesture. She took his offered arm and they walked to her car
"It's so good to see you, you know" she said as her driver started the engine.
"Yeah you too. So what's up with that Owen?" He smiled
"Nothing" she replied, looking away.
" Tosh I know you. Come on what's up" he pleaded, taking her face in his hands.
" I told you there is nothing…he..he isn't interested in me" she looked down.
"Tosh look at at me" he ordered and she obeyed.
"If he can't see how great you are then he is not worth it. Not only you are beautiful but you're also kind and talented. I don't know him personally but he seemed to be a bit of a bastard. At least that's what we can see on magazines. If he's not yours it's maybe because he doesn't deserve you. Don't let it bring you down" he said firmly, locking his eyes in hers.
" Maybe you're right" she sighed.
"Of course I'm right, I'm Welsh." He replied taking her in his arms, rubbing her back softly.
"Right. You're not here to see me brooding. Maybe we can go out tonight. Dance, drinks, singing like always ?" She offered, pulling out of the hug.
"Yeah why not ? But what do you want to do now?"
" how about… we go back to my place, change in pyjamas, watch James Bond movies while eating pop corns and then talk about hot men" she smiled broadly.
"I think it's a good programme, back to our Uni's Sunday night. But you know it's not because I'm gay that all I like is talk about hot men you know" he chuckled.
"You love talking about ho men and how much shaggable they can be, don't deny it Jones !" She laughed.
"Yes well it's not like I wan talk about it with Mark. Surprisingly he doesn't really like hearing about me having sex with another guy" he said with a faked confused face.
" how can he not want to hear about that ?! Seriously it's the most interesting thing I've ever heard, something must be wrong with him" she replied.
"Yeah I know. I'm quite worried about him" he said, his serious tone matching her's.
They brush out laughing, holding on their stomach.
"Oh god I've missed you so much" Ianto said panting.
"I've missed you too. I wish I could have come to Cardiff but…"
"Too much work to do" he finished her sentence.
"I understand don't worry" he continued squeezing her hand.
"Maybe you could live in London" she said, smiling even if she already knew the answer can't blame a girl for holding on hope.
" I love Cardiff far too much. And I don't thing A Welshman could fit in London. And anyway, I couldn't leave Mark he would be lost without me" he laughed.
" Gwen managed to fit in just right" Tosh argued.
"She must be exceptional than"
"Exceptional in her own way, yes" she replied smiling.
The car stopped and Tosh grabbed Ianto's arm. She tugged him out of the war and tried to walk past the paps and the fans who had formed a little group, blokibg the entrance of her flat. Thankfully the security made them step aside.
"Pfiou. Is it alway like this ?" Ianto asked.
"No not really. Today they are quite exited actually. Maybe something to do with a handsome and sexy man at my side" she winked.
" as if" he laughed.
"Ianto don't put yourself down like that" she sighed, defeated.
" I'm not" he argued but she stared at him shutting up his protests. His gaze dropped to the floor.
" Ianto what's wrong ? I know you, come on, I know something is up" she asked gently.
'When did I become that readable' Ianto cursed silently.
"There is just this…guy" he sighed, sitting on the couch.
"What guy ?"
" I met him, at The Stopwatch… 2 months ago. We spend the night together. And somehow he doesn't seem to want to get out of my head" he sighed again, his gaze falling on his joined hands on his lap.
" Never saw him again" he continued.
"Don't you have his number ?" She asked sitting next to him.
"Nope. He left a note though. Saying he wanted to catch up something. As if…" he aid sarcastically.
"Maybe he couldn't come back. Maybe he didn't live in Cardiff and didn't have time to make the trip. Maybe…"
"Don't try to find him excuses Tosh" he cut her off.
"That doesn't mean he doesn't want to see you again Ianto" she tried to convince him.
"I think it does. But it's okay you know, he didn't do anything wrong. I juste seem to keep falling for the wrong guy." He sighed, fidgeting.
"Maybe you'll see him again, you don't know what the future hold on store for us. But for what it's worth, I'm sorry Ianto" she said, setting he hand on his. He squeezed back reassuringly.
"It's okay Tosh, don't worry."
''Come on. We have to do someting to cheer you up'' she said getting up.
''I think admiring Daniel Craig's butt whime eating pop corns might help'' he said playfully.
'' That's actually a great idea. Go settle the movie, I'll grab the pop corns and maybe I have som crackers laying around'' she said walking to the kitchen.
''Toshiko Sato did I ever tell you how much I loved you ?'' he screamed after her.
''I don't think so .'' she said smiling.
''Well now I do : Toshiko, 'I do love nothing in the world, so well as you' '' he chuckled, quoting Shakespeare.
They spend the after noon watching movies and cathcing up. It's been a while sice they last hang out together. Tosh had a busy schedule and anyway she live in London. Not really easy to see each other when so many killometers seperated them. Maybe that was why thet had so much fun when they met uo again.
They went to a night club that evenin, danced, drunk and had so much fun ? Let's say the morning after, it's had been hard to wake up. Bloody Hangover.
''Hiya !'' rang a loud Welsh voice.
''Gwen ! Hi.'' Tosh replied, hugging her friend.
''This is my friend, Ianto Jones'' she continued, turning towards Ianto.
'' Hi'' he smiled.
''Is he our man ?'' Gwen asked smiling.
'' Well I could be..'' he replied
'' Hum, bit of a flirt... I like that'' she winked
'' I told you he was the man of our dreams'' Tosh replied, a broad smile on her face.
'' And what kind of dreams exactly, dear Toshinko ?'' Ianto coked an eyebrow, using a low, and oh so secy voice.
''Not that kind of dreams you pervet'' Toshiko exclaimed, slapping his arm playfully.
''Speak for yourself Tosh'' Gwen said.
''Look what you've done !'' Tosh hit him again.
''Oi ! Stop hitting me like that, I can't help it if I'm your fantasy'' he replied. Gwen laughed.
''Right. Jokes appart, as much as I enjoy your company, I have a busy day. We have to make sure you're perfect for this job. Not that I have any doubt. We also have to choose the song. Come one, let's go to my office so we can talk about all that over a coffee'' Gwen said with her serious 'work-to-do' voice.
''You do know how to make people like you, sneaky bastard'' Tosh whispered to Ianto, a bright smile on her face.
''I told you, I could handle myself'' he smiled back.
At the end , Gwen had loved Ianto's voice ad they had chose the song and changed the lyrics together, between fits of incontroled laughs.
'This is it. Breath Ianto. Breath. Come on. Relax. That's it. Breath in...Breath out... Why are you so stressed it's just a little performance at a small party with extra talented and famous actors, comedians and singers... Right'
Saying that Ianto was freaking out wasn't exagerated. He was used to sing in public BUT at The Stopwatch with people he knew well, in a familiar environment. Not in the lounge of the Agent Gwen Cooper, well known in the all United Kingdome. What if he messed up ? What if the song was too rude ? What if...
''Ianto ?'' Tosh called.
'' In here" he replied.
He had arrived at the party an hour ago and had hidden in one of the bedroom since then.
"Ready ?" she asked with a small smile as she walked in the room .
"Er... Yeah" he replied checking his outfit in the mirror.
"Come here a minute" she said waving.
He stopped in front of her, still fidgeting with his tie. She slapped his hands away and started to untie the knot.
"Tosh I took ages to do that" he complained.
"You don't need a tie''
"But..."
"No buts." she cut him off.
"You look stuning like this, don't want you to be too formal. You're here to have fun as well, it's not just a job. I want you to meet my friend." she continued softly, undoing the fist buttons of his shirt.
"Right" he sighed.
"Relax it's going to be great" she pated gently his chest before leaving the room.
Taking one last deep breath, he walked out of the room.
"Show time"
So ? What do you think about Ianto & Tosh's friendship ? About Ianto's background ? About this chapter in general ?