I'anto of Torchwood Weyr

Chapter 6: J'ack

A/N: I'm so glad people are enjoying this! Many of you have hit upon J'ack's true plan before I'anto has. Remember, though, he's only 17 and J'ack's in his thirties.

Updated some formatting...

.

/Don't worry, J'ack still likes you,/ Myfanwyth said to I'anto as he rubbed fragrant oil into her hide after her bath. Today's flavor was rosemary lavender, and he found himself relaxing as he breathed it in.

"Yeah? And how do you know?" he asked petulantly. "I haven't had a single minute alone with him since he got here. He's actively courting Tosh, and the entire Weyr knows it."

/Boesheth told me./ she explained. /He says to be patient a little longer./

"What else does Boesheth say?"

/Just to tell you to be patient./

"What happened to him courting me?" I'anto growled, rubbing in the last bit of oil.

"You need to have a little more faith in your man," T'shiko said, walking up behind I'anto. He jumped, startled. She held up a letter with his name scrawled in J'ack's distinctive cursive that I'anto had come to love. He clambered to his feet.

"T'shiko!"

"I'anto," she replied, pulling the letter out of his reach when he tried to grab it. "Wash off the oil before you touch this, otherwise you might not be able to read it."

"Good idea," he muttered, hastily wiping off his hands on a rag.

"He just wants it to look like he's courting me, you know," she said, taking a seat on a nearby bench. "He wants to make a case to bring me to Torchwood without hassle and keep any suspicious eyes off you. You're the one he wants. He told me so himself."

"He did?" I'anto asked, unbelieving.

"Of course he did! When you left, he sighed really sadly before introducing himself." She patted the bench next to her. I'anto joined her. "Then he asked if I'd mind playing the part of his pretend lover and passing you a letter."

"Thanks."

"So, you want it?" she teased, offering the letter again. This time she gave it to I'anto, who immediately opened the envelope.

"It's a diagram of the Weyr," I'anto said, holding it up. On the page, one of the empty weyrs was circled, "Midnight" written next to it. "He must want me to meet him here!"

"I think you'll finally get to kiss him," T'shiko whispered, thumping her shoulder against his.

"Yeah," I'anto breathed, his eyes slightly glazed as he stared into space, thinking of what else might happen.

I'anto had never felt time move more slowly than it did as he finished his chores, had a meeting/lesson with Yvonne, had dinner with his friends and did his homework for the next day. He usually finished quite quickly, but he was distracted thinking about his midnight rendezvous.

At quarter-past eleventh hour he couldn't stand it anymore and he got dressed, pulling on his nicest shirt, and left the barracks, keeping to the shadows. He followed the bowl of the Weyr until he got to the main kitchen caverns where he made coffee. Everyone said that his coffee was the best in the Weyr, and not a few people had complained to the cooks about the sudden decrease in quality when he Impressed Myfanwyth and stopped working in the kitchens. He figured one of his special coffees would be a nice way to break the ice with J'ack.

How do you start a conversation with someone you've been writing to for three months but never really spoken to? Will it be awkward? Will it be natural? he wondered to himself. Ah, well. What will be, will be.

Clutching the thermos of coffee he found his way to the weyr J'ack indicated. No lights shined in the entrance, nor in the room with the dragon's stone couch. He moved farther into the weyr, to the main living area. Nothing. No light, no J'ack. I'anto frowned. All that was left was the sleeping room and the baths. He wouldn't want to meet in the baths, would he? But to just go to the sleeping room… I know I want to kiss him, but am I ready to sleep with him so soon?

Both the sleeping and bathing rooms were empty. He returned to the main room and sat on a dust-covered chair, not bothering to remove the dust cover. It seemed like hours passed as he waited, though it must have been only minutes because the midnight bell rang just as he heard movement in the outer weyr. He jumped to his feet, his heart hammering in his chest. His stomach clenched in anxiety.

This is it! he said to himself, mentally trying to pull himself together. He couldn't stop the tremor in his hands as he held the thermos as if it were a lifeline.

J'ack strode into the room, all confidence and flashing eyes and huge smile. He enveloped I'anto in a tight embrace and kissed him just below his left ear. I'anto dropped the thermos to hug J'ack back, clinging to him. J'ack loosened his hold and pulled back slightly so he could meet I'anto's eyes in the dark. He touched I'anto's cheek tenderly.

"Goddess, I'anto, I've wanted to hold you like this for so long," J'ack breathed softly. "May I kiss you?"

I'anto nodded and then J'ack's lips were on his, soft and sweet and gentle and hungry and impatient, all at the same time. Involuntarily, I'anto opened his mouth slightly, wanting more. J'ack licked at I'anto's lips, encouragingly, then thrust his tongue into I'anto's mouth when he opened it fully. I'anto plastered himself against J'ack's body.

"Don't stop," I'anto whimpered when J'ack drew back. They stared at each other, chests heaving as they tried to catch their breath after the intensity of the moment.

J'ack ran his fingers through I'anto's hair, chuckling. "We should sit down," he said. "And we need to talk." I'anto nodded and followed J'ack to a small couch. J'ack pulled off the dust cover and settled them both. He kissed I'anto quickly, just a peck on the lips. "You want this?" he asked.

"I want to be with you," I'anto answered bluntly. "It's all I've wanted since I first saw you appear from between in the air above the Hatching Grounds."

J'ack smiled. "You're half my age," he pointed out, wanting to get the potential issues aired in the open before they went any farther.

"I don't care."

"I can't guarantee that Boesheth will catch Myfanwyth."

"I still don't care. I want this."

"I have a history, lots of past partners. You're going to hear stories about me, things I've done. But I'd only be with you. I promise that."

"I'm a virgin," I'anto blurted out, immediately coloring in embarrassment and looking away. "I want you to be my first —"

"We'll go as slowly as you need," J'ack replied, gently bringing I'anto's head up to meet his eyes again. "I would never hurt you."

"I know." They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment. "How long can we be here tonight?"

"A few hours. We can meet again tomorrow, in a different weyr. I hate it, but I can't bring you to mine. We have to keep them guessing." J'ack paused. "I'll be here a week. That's six nights we can meet."

"I wish it didn't have to be a secret."

"I know, darling," J'ack said, cupping I'anto's cheek, stroking his cheekbone with his thumb. "Once you're fully trained and at Torchwood, it won't have to be a secret anymore, even if Myfanwyth hasn't mated yet. We have to be patient."

"Can we kiss some more? Right now, I mean?"

J'ack laughed heartily. He pulled I'anto into another hug, practically dragging him onto his lap. "Just a few more things to cover, then we can kiss all you want, OK?" I'anto rolled his eyes in frustration and nodded. "First, I know I picked T'shiko as a cover without talking to you. Is that OK with you that I did that? We need to keep eyes off us, and I thought she'd be a good choice from all you've told me about her."

"I was angry at first, but I see why you did it. I guess it has to be done. You're right, though. Better her than anyone else."

J'ack paused. "You can talk to me about anything, OK? Just like in the letters. And we'll need to talk about sex in more detail at some point, so you're ready for what it means before we do it."

"You know, from the rumors, I wouldn't have thought you'd be so responsible about it," I'anto said with a wink to take away any sting his comment might have caused.

"I'm full of surprises," J'ack replied with a grin.

"Does a heat of the moment demand count as talking about it?" J'ack raised an eyebrow in question. I'anto, now used to the dim light, saw it. "I mean, if we're sitting here kissing like this, and I want you to open my trousers and touch me…"

J'ack laughed again and squeezed him tight. I'anto thought that J'ack's laugh was his new favorite sound in the whole world. J'ack kissed him, long and hard and deep. Definitely my new favorite activity, I'anto decided.

"I think that counts for everything but sex itself," J'ack murmured when their lips parted. "You tell me what you want tonight, darling, I'll give it to you. How's that?"

"Excellent," Ianto declared. "Now kiss me."

J'ack obliged him.