The next couple of days dragged on for Jack. He was able to get over to see his friend at work that Wednesday, spending a good half hour watching Ianto serve customers, clean up the shop, and prepare goods for purchase behind the counter. Ianto took a ten minute break with him, during which they chatted, but it wasn't nearly enough for Jack.

With the cheer competition that coming Friday, however, Jack didn't have a chance to stop by Ianto's that afternoon or any others that week. Practice kept him extremely busy. If he wasn't fine tuning his moves for their cheers, he was ensuring the rest of the team was just as ready.

By the time Saturday rolled around Jack was a bundle of nerves. He'd competed before, but for some reason he felt more anxious than ever. Part of it, he knew, was that he simply did not want to fail his team during their performances. The rest, he was sure, was due to the fact that when he got his allowance again he'd have just enough money saved up for what he had planned for the following weekend.

When it came time for their first cheer Jack and Adam, the only two boys on the team, lifted the girls flawlessly. Their back flips were spotless, the girls' movements were perfection, and the crowd roared for them. Their second cheer went even better, causing Jack to grin like the Cheshire Cat.

While Torchwood Institute did not take the top prize that day, Jack still felt proud of his team. They'd really put in the effort. He congratulated the winners, then looked out into the crowd. He wished Ianto could be there to see he and their friends take second place. While Ianto had never been in cheer, and was, instead, a rugby player, Jack knew that his friend would be proud of them. Of him.

"You are coming 'round to mine after this, yeah Jack?" Gwen asked him, interrupting his train of thought.

He shook his head, offering a smile. "Nah, I think I'm gonna head over to Ianto's and see if he needs anything."

Gwen's brow furrowed. "Really? Jack, everyone is coming over. My parents have arranged a party, knowing we'd place top three." She leaned closer, sliding her arm around Jack's and whispering, "We can play spin the bottle, Jack."

Jack chuckled, squeezing her arm before extricating himself. "It sounds like an amazing time, Gwen."

"So you'll go, then, yeah?"

"Not this time. Sorry."

Gwen's eyes got even more round than normal. "Well why not? Why is Ianto more important than me?"

"Gwen, it's not a matter of importance," Jack soothed, cupping her face. "But he needs me right now. I need to be there for him."

"I need you too, Jack!"

Jack sighed, pleading with his eyes for her to understand. "Another time, okay? We're all going to be at the dance next Friday night, right? We can all hang out there."

"Who's we?" she asked, frowning.

"You, Rhys, me and Ianto. And the whole group. If I'm not mistaken Owen is going to ask out that pretty blonde girl. Katie, I think it is?"

"Yeah, Katie. But Jack…"

"I've got to go, Gwen," he told her gently, kissing her forehead. "I'll see you at school Monday!"

With that he hurried off, half afraid Gwen would take off after him. He adored the girl, he really did, but she'd become even more clingy since they'd moved on to sixth form. He wasn't sure if it was because she'd developed deeper feelings for him, or if she'd simply grown bored of their usual flirting. She'd made it pretty clear in the last few months she wasn't interested in remaining just friends. He wished now, not for the first time, that he'd lain off the flirtatious banter through their childhood and just let her know he wasn't interested in her that way.

Jack stopped at his house, excited to tell his little brother about his second place accomplishment. Since his own parents were in the states visiting friends until Tuesday Gray had been left with just Jack and their nanny. Of course, she hadn't really been Jack's nanny in quite some time, but he loved the woman all the same.

"Jack! Jack! Jack!" Gray chanted, running at him the moment the door opened. "Jack, guess what Cerys made for me? Look!"

"Oh, wow," Jack replied, grinning broadly as he lifted his brother up. The boy was getting so big now it was becoming difficult. "That's a wonderful hat, Gray. It suits you!"

The boy was sporting a crocheted beanie in a deep, rich blue shade. It almost appeared to be a phone box. Yes, that was it. A police call box.

"Cerys?" he asked, stepping into the lounge with his brother on his hip. "Why is Gray wearing a police call box on his head?"

"It's the TARDIS!" Gray exclaimed, hugging Jack's neck.

"The what?"

"TARDIS," Cerys explained, chuckling. "It's a new toy in the shops, but since your parents have indicated they would rather he not have one, I've made him a replica instead."

"Isn't she clever, Jack? Cerys, you're so clever!"

"Yes she is, Gray," Jack agreed, winking at Cerys. The elderly woman was a miracle worker. When no one else could get Gray to stop sulking over something as simple as a toy he couldn't have, Cerys could. "Very clever."

"There's a sandwich for you in the refrigerator, Jack," the woman told him, tilting her head toward the kitchen.

"Thank you," he told her, setting down his brother and grasping him by the shoulders. "Guess what, Gray? Your big brother took second place in the competition today!"

"Really?" the little boy asked, hands on hips. "Where's your trophy?"

"Oh, you don't get a trophy for second place," Jack explained, reaching into his cheer bag. "But I did get this." He pulled out the ribbon, pinning it carefully to Gray's shirt. "There. If you're really good for Cerys tonight before bed I will let you wear it tomorrow, too."

"Oh my gosh!" Gray was beaming. He ran over to his nanny, showing her the ribbon. "Look, Cerys!"

"I see, young man," Cerys acknowledged, smiling. "Very nice. And well done, Jack."

"Thanks," he said, shrugging. "My team did most of the work."

He grabbed his brother and gave him a kiss on the cheek and a quick cuddle – which gained him a disgusted sound from his brother – and then jogged up to his room. He needed to shower, change and had a lot of planning to do and a couple of calls to make before he could eat a late lunch and head over to Ianto's.

tw tw tw tw tw

Jack was excited to tell his friend about his plans, and, of course, about the results of the cheer competition. He called to let him know he was on his way, and knew he could have mentioned the second place win, but he figured they needed to talk anyway, so why not just do so in person?

Ianto let him in after a couple knocks, and Jack had to bite back the moan that threatened to spill from his throat. The boy was wearing a deep red button down shirt tucked neatly into snug black jeans. The look was completed with a matching black belt with silver studs and a pair of black boots.

"Hi, Jack," Ianto said softly, his eyes telling Jack he knew exactly what the outfit had done. "Come on in."

"You, uh…" He swallowed, trying again. "You look great, Ianto."

"Thanks, Jack," his friend replied, leading him through the house. Jack raised an eyebrow when they didn't stop at the lounge but instead kept moving toward Ianto's bedroom.

"We revising in here, today?" Jack asked, as casually as he possibly could.

"Yup." Ianto took a seat on his bed, pulling off his boots, then indicated them with a nod when he dropped them to the floor. "I was rearranging things in the lounge."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Mam's resting, so I figured I would make good use of my time."

"I see," Jack said, nodding slowly.

"You going to sit down, Jack?"

Jack smiled, moving to sit on the bed a few feet from Ianto and kicking off his own shoes. He pulled his legs up and sat cross-legged, facing his friend. "So…"

"So…" Ianto repeated.

"You always move things around in a nice shirt and jeans?"

Ianto blushed slightly. "Well, I…"

"Never mind, Ianto," Jack interrupted, taking pity on the boy. "The team took second place in the competition."

"That's great, Jack!" Ianto's face fell. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there to see it. I'm sure you and Adam did amazing."

"Gwen too," Jack reminded him. He caught the briefest unreadable look cross Ianto's face before it was gone.

"Yes, of course. Well," Ianto said, smiling. "Chemistry or trigonometry?"

Jack licked his lips, wondering whether he should press the issue of the Gwen oversight with Ianto. Deciding to bypass the issue for now, he shrugged. "Oh, I dunno. I was thinking first we might talk about Friday."

"Friday?" Ianto asked. "What's Friday?"

"The day that comes after Thursday, most commonly," Jack quipped, grinning. Ianto shot him a look. "The dance, Ianto. Friday is the dance."

Ianto glanced away. "Oh, right. Did you decide to take…Gwen…then?"

Jack frowned. Hadn't they had this discussion? Yes, he was pretty sure they had. In fact, he'd told him flat out he wanted to take him, alone, not as a third wheel to he and Gwen.

"No," Jack assured him, folding his hands in his lap. "I still want to take you."

Ianto ducked his head. "Jack, you know I have to take care of Mam. I can't go."

"But if you didn't have to," Jack said, biting his lip. "Then would you go?"

"I don't even attend that school any longer," Ianto said, shaking his head. "I don't attend school at all."

"Ianto…"

"And besides, Jack, it's a moot point, remember? I do have to take care of her. There's no one else."

"What if I told you there was?"

Ianto looked up, worry all over his face. "Jack? What did you do?"

Jack offered him his best smile. "I hired someone to care for her for the night. She can be here when the normal care leaves, and stay until midnight."

Ianto's eyes flared with something Jack had never seen before and it made him wince. He watched his friend get off the bed, walk to the other side of the room and then back again, one hand on his hip and the other on the back of his neck.

"Why would you do that, Jack?" he asked, looking over him. "I take care of my mam at night. That's the way it's been since Rhiannon left!"

"I just…" Jack stopped, taking a breath. "I wanted to help, Ianto. You take care of her every night, and all day on the weekends."

"I asked you not to spend your money on me, Jack."

"I know. But…I really wanted you to go to the dance with me."

Ianto shook his head. "I can't…go to the dance with you, Jack."

Jack's heart sank. He didn't care about the money. He had hired the woman, but hadn't given her any payment yet. He could always cancel. But now it appeared he shouldn't have even tried. Ianto didn't even want to go with him.

"Would you go if it wasn't with me?"

"I don't even belong there."

"Yes you do, Ianto. And I mean it. If I…" His chest hurt, just thinking about what he was going to suggest. "If I found you a date, a girl, would you go?"

Ianto looked at him questioningly. "You want to set me up with someone?"

Jack swallowed. "Honestly? No. But if it means you'll go, and I can see you there, I'll do it."

"And who would you go with? Gwen?"

Jack winced again. "She has a date already," he said. "I'd find…someone…I guess."

He was looking down and didn't see Ianto's expression. "I don't feel right about this."

"You don't have to be seen with me, if it makes you uncomfortable," Jack told him. "I didn't realize it would, but…"

"Jack…you idiot." He looked up, seeing Ianto shaking his head. He was smiling softly. "I don't want to go to the dance with some girl."

"Some other guy, then?" His heart clenched. "You said you weren't gay, so I assumed…"

Ianto walked over to him, smacking him gently upside the head. "You're not listening to me, Jack."

"Ow!" he groaned, rubbing his head. Although, to be fair, it really didn't hurt. "What was that for?"

"I'm just worried about leaving my mam for the night. I've never done that. And I don't like that you're going to spend that kind of money just so that I can go to the dance."

"So, it's not being with me that makes you uncomfortable?"

"Of course not!"

Jack looked sheepish. "Oh."

Ianto smiled again, sitting next to him on the bed and rubbing at the back of Jack's head. "I didn't really hurt you, did I Jack?"

Jack smiled back, shaking his head. "No."

"Good."

"So…will you go with me, Ianto? To the dance?"

Ianto frowned. "What would I wear? I don't exactly have anything fancy."

"I like what you're wearing," Jack said softly, nudging his friend's shoulder.

Blushing, Ianto looked up at him under his lashes. "Really?"

Jack smirked. "Oh yeah. Red is definitely your color."

Ianto turned his head, turning an even deeper shade of pink. "Okay," he said. "I'll go."

"Really?" Jack asked, eyes wide. Ianto nodded. Jack leaned in and pressed a kiss to Ianto's cheek.

"Right," Ianto murmured, smiling as he scooted a bit further away. "So…revision?"

"Revision," Jack agreed, grabbing his bag and hauling it up onto the bed.

"I'll go get us a couple cold drinks," Ianto said, jumping off the bed.

Jack watched his best friend hurry out of the room and grinned. It was so easy to make the boy blush.

~tbc~