Ianto walked slowly along through the gate to the waiting plane. The tarmac was covered with a light dusting of fresh snow and he was once again reminded that he didn't like flying. Scotland sucked the big one and he really had hoped to hire a car to travel home to Wales, stopping in London for the job interview that had been suddenly bought forward to tomorrow fuck it all. Now he was stuffed, had to fly to get there in time and with his luck it was snowing.
Great.
The first problem was that the plane he could see out the waiting lounge window was a DC-10. He had checked and been told emphatically before booking this fight that it was a L-1011. Seems there was a technical problem and they had been forced to change the plane. Great, entering a death trap. If he didn't need this job interview he might have turned right around but unfortunately he didn't have a choice. The Flight Attendant checking tickets while apologising to those ahead of him for the plane change that also meant some seat reassignments did not bode well either.
Great. Lady Luck was a cow.
He had spent more that he could afford for a quiet business class ride. He knew given his luck there would not be an upgrade.
Nope.
"Oh, Mister Jones I am so sorry. We have a passenger with a Guide Dog sitting in the seat next to the one assigned to you originally, you do not mind changing seats so he can have the leg room needed for the dog, do you?"
Ianto felt the annoyance deep in his gut as he smiled politely and assured her it was no problem. After all he told himself, gonna die in a crash no matter where you sit in these fucking flying death traps.
He walked towards the back of the plane, his heart dropping more as he saw economy class looming and with a resigned smile he moved into the seat she was motioning at. He settled in the seat and placed his ear buds in, at least able to listen to some music while telling himself he was not really gonna die, stop being a jerk.
Someone settled next to him and brushed his leg but he kept his eyes closed and his head tipped back to show he didn't mind, pretended not to have felt it. Maybe if he pretended he was dead he might not really become that way? God, what a Negative Nelly today. He smiled as he heard his mama's voice scolding him in the back of his mind and the brush happened again, more deliberate this time.
They took off, the drop of his gut for a moment before he could feel the landing gear beneath them slamming up and he sighed softly. Someone touched his face and he grunted. Ianto opened his eyes and turned to find a woman with a little one on her lap, his smile so infectious that Ianto couldn't help but coo back. A sweet little man with soft curls and a lovely smile.
He then noticed the man across the aisle.
God, he was gorgeous.
Ianto scolded himself for staring and looked back to the baby, offering to take him while the woman sorted some things from her bag then setting once more. He was a lovely chunky size, maybe seven or eight months?
"Excuse me" the voice was American, the man is American, reaching out to snag a little shoe that had plopped from her bag and she laughed as she accepted it, pacing it in as Ianto let the baby stand on his thighs to look around, little hands on his shoulders. What a sweetie.
"Whatcha doing?" he crooned "What a little star. Yes you are!"
The ear buds had become interesting and Ianto let the music play, holding one hear a tiny shell ear and the baby lit up, grabbing for it to look at, suck and place by his ear again as Ianto gasped with horror.
"Oh, I am so sorry, I will pay for another pair" she was horrified as she saw her child's spilt on the bud.
"No, it's no matter. I have several back-up sets. I shut them in doors ya see. Get in the cab, shut the door … oops. Go though the apartment door with me hands full, slam it with my hip …oops." Ianto rolled his ears and she laughed softly, leaning in to look at the little one's vacant face.
"What is he listening to?"
"Show tunes" Ianto snorted "Um … Cats at the moment I think."
She laughed some more and then they settled as the baby held the bud by his ear with wonder in his mama's lap, the trolley coming as the man in the aisle started to laugh again, the little one leaning out to watch the trolley wheels. Ianto was about to tell her they have a terrible track record for rolling when they hit the first lot of turbulence, the trolley flying along, Ianto snatching her and the baby away from the aisle as the man cried out and reached for the trolley that was about to slam into another little child sliding in the aisle further own.
"Shit" the American said, then looked at the mother to apologise but she had her own problems, the little boy throwing up on her as she struggled to hold him, Ianto grabbing him without thinking and getting some on his jacket sleeves.
Well why not. One of those days, right?
She apologised as she retrieved the child and the seatbelt sign pinged off, clear air again. She moved to get up "I need to get him changed."
"OK" Ianto smiled "Come on little beast, what a lot inside such a small body."
"Tyson, let go of his …oh thanks" she smiled as Ianto simply unplugged the ear buds, letting the little one be triumphant. Into the mouth again and Ianto cringed as he knew a child of his would have it's mouth washed out with disinfectant if it did that with something that had been in a stranger's ears. Mind you … David had been treated like that and by the time Micha came along his sister didn't really care anymore.
"Lovely boy" the American said softly.
"He is, isn't he" Ianto smiled back and offered his hand once the Jacket was removed and carefully folded, "Jones, Ianto Jones."
"Oh? Well hello Jones, Ianto Jones. I am Jack Harkness …. Captain Jack Harkness" Jack grinned and Ianto smiled wider as he saw the man's genuine friendliness. Then Jack raised another little shoe "Your son seems to hate shoes."
"Oh … he's not mine" Ianto blushed "They just sat next to me. No … single. Soooo single"
"Oh? No little woman pining for you?" Jack moved in his seat, interest clear.
"No, no little man either. I like my men big" Ianto said then felt the blush rising to his hairline as his brain caught up with his mouth. "Oh god. Sorry, near death makes me chatty I guess."
Jack smiled wider "Lucky for me I am a BIG boy then. You … going to London?"
"Job interview" Ianto smiled back, "But … I will be staying a few days with a hopeful whine in my inner voice before driving home."
Jack grinned wider "Ah. Me too."
"Well .. ah… maybe we should …. Ah … meet?"
"Why Mister Jones, are you trying to seduce me?" Jack purred with delight, the handsome Welshman's blush fading as he smiled back and Jack saw how bloody lovely he was.
He couldn't believe his luck, heading there for a job interview as well. Only he was the interviewer. He knew the name, it had niggled until he had recalled this was one of those he was about to check out for the Torchwood Security Agency.
Well, well, well.
Seems he might have already picked his man.
Lady Luck strikes again.
