Ten

Ianto hurried across the street and into the lobby of Torchwood Financial, certain he was late for his lunch date with Jack. He'd been looking forward to it all morning, as he hadn't seen Jack for several days, but his photo shoot had run over, and although he'd texted Jack that he was on his way, Ianto hated being late. He was already nervous and didn't need the annoyance of running behind ruining his afternoon.

Glancing around the spacious lobby, he spotted someone familiar…only it wasn't Jack. Too late he tried to turn around, but Lisa Hallett had seen him and waved. His heart in his throat, he stopped to wait for her as she approached, a huge smile on her face. She looked good, though he thought she also looked a little pinched in the face—tired or stressed out. She stopped in front of him, a look of uncertainty crossing her face at his lack of reaction. He held out a hand, and they shook somewhat awkwardly.

"Hi Lisa," he said, and she smiled again, the beautiful smile he had fallen in love with so many years ago. He was relieved to realize that it did little for him anymore, whereas when they'd first met, it'd always sent his heart skipping.

"Ianto! Whatever are you doing here?" she asked. "Tell me you haven't entered the corporate world!"

He shook his head in mock disgust. "Of course not. I'm meeting someone for lunch."

The barest hint of a frown crossed her face before she smiled again. "Someone at Torchwood?" she said, the surprise forced. "Who are you meeting?"

"A friend," Ianto replied casually. It occurred to him that while he and Jack had been dating for a month, he hadn't had the opportunity to introduce Jack to anyone as his boyfriend. Really, he wasn't sure if Jack wanted to be introduced that way; it was probably something they should talk about at some point.

"He's in personal finance," he added. "Should be down any moment." There was a heartbeat of uneasy silence between them, until Ianto forced himself to continue. "So what brings you back to the Cardiff office?" he asked.

She sighed, definitely sounding tired. "Corporate restructuring. Next week I'm heading to New York, and then Paris."

Ianto nodded as if he was interested; he was not. It was not a lifestyle he'd want for himself, and he was glad he wasn't sharing it with her. He was also glad that Jack felt the same about traveling. He'd been offered the opportunity to travel early on in his tenure with Torchwood Cardiff, but had turned it down. He'd traveled enough while working in New York and preferred to remain in Wales for Lauren.

Lisa was eyeing him strangely and seemed about to say something when Jack stepped out of a nearby lift. Ianto relaxed and smiled as Jack hurried over, slowing down as he approached them, and Ianto saw the moment as realization dawned. He offered a small nod and stopped next to Ianto, laying a hand on his arm in greeting and support. Ianto half wanted Jack to lean over and kiss him, but was also glad when he did not.

"Hi," Jack said, smiling warmly and squeezing Ianto's arm before he held out his hand for Lisa. "Jack Harkness," he offered. "I think we might have met before you transferred, but it's been a while."

She was watching them with a funny look that Ianto found didn't bother him one bit. It was rather amusing, and he found himself unexpectedly and rather shallowly enjoying her confusion. "Lisa Hallett," she replied, shaking hands with him in turn. "Nice to see you again."

"You too," said Jack. "You're here for the big meeting then?"

She nodded, and Jack continued. "I have one this afternoon." He turned to Ianto. "Are you ready? I'm sorry I'm late, but I needed to finish a few things before the meeting."

"It's fine," Ianto replied. "I was running behind and just got here myself. Do you still have time for the café down the street?"

Jack checked his watch and nodded. "Should be fine." He turned to Lisa and held out his hand once more. "I hope you have a safe trip back to London." He laid his hand on the small of Ianto's back and smiled. "I'll meet you outside, okay?"

"Thanks," Ianto murmured, and tried not to watch him leave. He was not surprised to find Lisa staring at him and shrugged. "I should get going, since Jack has to be back for the meeting."

"Right," she said, frowning. "I'd ask if you wanted to get something to eat, but since you've already got plans, maybe dinner? We're staying over and leaving in the morning." She sounded almost shy, hesitant. "There's a nice restaurant in the hotel."

Ianto considered. He had no real reason to say no, and yet almost no desire to say yes. He'd been planning to work on the edits on the from his shoot that morning so that he'd have more time to spend with Jack and Lauren over the weekend, and he didn't want an awkward dinner with his ex-girlfriend to cut into his time with them. And while he didn't feel the same resentment he'd once felt toward her, he worried that seeing her again might stir up old hurt, and he saw no reason to fan those flames. He was happy where he was, happy with Jack, and he didn't feel like spending two hours talking about it with her over dinner.

"I can't," he said. "I've got to get the edits done from my shoot this morning. Maybe another time."

"Oh." She seemed surprised and almost disappointed. Ianto wondered if she felt obligated to ask, or if she actually did want to see him. He thought it was somewhat naïve of her to expect his interest when she had been to the one to break things off so abruptly between them.

"I should go," Ianto said again, nodding back toward the door, where he knew Jack was waiting outside for him. "It was good to see you, Lisa."

"It was good to see you too," she said. She took a step forward, as if wanting to embrace him, but stopped, shaking her head with a smile. "I'm glad you're doing well."

"And I'm happy you're finding success in London," Ianto said. "Good luck on your other trips." He turned to leave, but she reached out toward him.

"Wait!" she said. "Ianto, are you…you and Jack…are you…together?" She sounded surprised and confused and the small, vindictive part of Ianto enjoyed it. But he simply smiled and nodded in response.

"Take care, Lisa." He turned and left her standing there, imagining the look on her face. And it didn't bother him, her shock or surprise or disappointment. He felt like laughing as realized that he hadn't thought about her in months, almost since he'd met Jack. Stepping outside, he saw Jack standing nearby. Hurrying up to him, he took his hand and squeezed tight, barely holding back from leaning forward to kiss him. They'd not been out much in public together, not without Lauren, and had little experience appearing as a couple, with such displays of affection. So Ianto let Jack's hand fall, but Jack snatched it back with a smile.

"Sorry about that," Ianto said as they walked two blocks to a café near the building, still holding hands. His nerves were completely rattled and Jack's hand was strong and comforting. "I was definitely not expecting to see her!"

"Obviously," Jack replied. "And if I'd realized she was in town, I would have said something, but I didn't know she was with the London group. It didn't even occur to me."

"It's fine," Ianto said. "Honestly. It was a chance encounter and it was horribly uncomfortable, but it's over. She wanted to have dinner tonight, and I said no."

Jack glanced at him in surprise. "Why? I don't mind, you know. You were together for a long time, after all."

"Not interested," Ianto replied. "She made her choice and left. And I'm fine with that, because it's clearly been good to her. But it hurt, and I don't need to remind myself of it with an unpleasant dinner. Besides, I want to work on some things so I can see you and Lauren this weekend."

"Ooh, big plans?" Jack teased.

"Actually, that was what I wanted to talk about at lunch," Ianto replied. "But let's get our food first."

"I'm intrigued," Jack laughed, but Ianto only rolled his eyes.

"Don't be, it's nothing big." He didn't say anything else, preferring to order his lunch and wait until they were seated at a small table near the windows. After a few bites, Jack apparently couldn't wait any longer.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" he asked. There was no teasing, which Ianto appreciated, because his nerves had come back. He knew, logically speaking, that he had no reason to be nervous, but that didn't stop him from feeling uncertain. This was something new for both of them—Ianto navigating a relationship with a man, and Jack with a child. He only hoped Jack didn't get scared off, as he frequently expressed his doubt about Ianto staying with him.

"How was lunch with your friend?" Ianto asked instead. "You didn't say much last night."

"Owen is doing fine," said Jack, surprised at Ianto's opening. "He's moved to Cardiff to be with his girlfriend. She's a computer programmer at the university and he's starting at a local A&E. Hopefully we can meet up with them sometime." He grinned. "Owen's a bit much sometimes, but I have a feeling you'd probably like Tosh. Anyone who can put up with him is a saint in my book!"

Ianto smiled. "That sounds good. I'm glad you got to reconnect with an old friend."

"Owen and I had some good times together," Jack mused. "He was devastated when his fiancé died, so I'm glad he's moved on and found someone. But why are you asking about him? What did you want to talk about?"

"Well, I had lunch with my sister yesterday," Ianto started, and Jack nodded.

"You mentioned you might, but you didn't say anything about it when we talked last night. Everything okay?"

Ianto nodded slowly, staring at his food. "Yes, she's fine and it was good but…well, I told her about you. About us."

Jack smiled. "And that's what you're practically stuttering over? Telling her you're seeing someone?"

Ianto hoped he wasn't blushing. "Well, I wasn't sure how you'd feel about it, to be honest. It seems like telling family is a big step sometimes."

"For some people, I suppose," Jack said. "Though I guess since I have a daughter, that might be different, but—" He stopped and set down his sandwich. "Oh. Is it because we're both guys?"

Ianto shook his head. "Yes, there's that, but that's for me to deal with. I guess I don't want you to feel…I don't know…any pressure now that I've told them."

"I don't feel any pressure at all," Jack replied, and continued eating. Ianto believed Jack and breathed a sigh of relief until the other man continued. "How did it go, though? Because this…me…must have been new for her, yeah?"

Ianto laughed and took a sip of water. "You could say that, yes. She was certainly surprised, but not in a bad way. It took a few minutes to wrap her brain around me seeing a man, I think. The last person she saw me with was the woman I'd hoped to marry." He shrugged. "She didn't particularly like Lisa so that wasn't an issue, but I don't think she was expecting me to start dating a man in my building, let alone one with an adopted daughter."

Jack nodded, and Ianto thought he saw the first hints of uncertainty in Jack's face. "And was she okay with it? With you dating a man with an adopted daughter?"

Ianto smiled as he remembered her response—surprise, confusion, realization, and excitement. "She was completely fine with both, yes. Very happy for me, once she understood. Which is why she wants to meet you." He glanced up and found Jack watching him with a happy look on his face. "If you want to meet her, that is. Because I understand if it's too soon—"

Jack grabbed his hand from across the table and squeezed. "Of course I want to meet her. Why wouldn't I? She's your sister."

Ianto blew out a nervous breath. "Well, I don't want it to seem like I'm moving too fast or something." He stopped when Jack smirked, and he rolled his eyes, earning a laugh from the man across from him. "Not like that, of course."

"Good, because it's a bit late to slow that down," Jack replied with a wink. Ianto was almost positive he was blushing now, as he wasn't one to talk about his sex life in public, even if no one around them was listening, or would even know what Jack was teasing him about. Because yes, they had moved fast in that part of their relationship, but Ianto had no regrets whatsoever. He was wildly attracted to Jack and trusted him, so it had required little debate with himself to try new things—for him, anyway—in bed with Jack. And it had been amazing. No, Ianto wanted to be sure he didn't scare Jack away from the relationship with everything else—feelings and expectations and all the usual things that got in the way of a relationship.

"She invited us to dinner on Sunday," he blurted, unable to hold back anymore. "And I told her I wasn't sure if Lauren would be up for it and that I'd let her know, so if you're not comfortable, I understand. Maybe we could do a small lunch, the three of us, rather than family dinner."

Jack had sat back and stared at the table, a small smile playing at his face. When he glanced up, Ianto was sure he was going to say no, but Jack surprised him.

"You're adorable, you know," he said, and before Ianto could protest that adorable was not a good word to describe a grown man, he went on. "You're so nervous, and for no reason. Why wouldn't I want to meet your family?"

"We've only been together for a month," Ianto replied. "Technically speaking."

"Are you sure you want them to meet me? And Lauren?" Jack asked, his voice unexpectedly serious. Ianto's eyes widened at the implication, that he was sublimating in some way.

"Of course I do! Oh, Rhi will mother you to death, and Johnny will probably make crass jokes about us, but David and Mica will love Lauren. It's somewhat rough around the edges out there, but they're family." He shrugged, suddenly worried that he was going to say something embarrassing. "And in a way, so are you and Lauren. I'd like it if you would come, but I understand if you're uncomfortable."

"Of course we'll come," Jack replied, and Ianto felt his entire body relax. "What time?"

"We can drive over any time after Lauren wakes up from her nap," Ianto said. "Probably earlier, so we can be back early to put her to bed." He took a deep breath and released it. "Thanks, Jack. I appreciate it."

"I'm looking forward to it," Jack replied. "Although I still don't understand why you're so nervous."

"Me neither." Ianto finally relaxed and laughed. "But there's one more thing. Rhiannon is good with kids, and she said if we wanted to go out sometime, she'd be happy to watch Lauren."

Jack's head whipped up. "What? But I've never…we've never…oh."

Ianto patted his hand. "It's an offer. Once you meet her, you can decide. It might be nice to do more than sneak in a lunch on our own here and there. A proper date, you know?"

Jack's shoulders slumped and he poked at his food. "That's why you should—"

"Don't say it," Ianto cut him off. He'd heard the same from Jack several times since they'd started their relationship, usually while they were at Jack's, either playing with Lauren, or after she'd gone to bed and they were watching repeats on television, or when they were tangled together and Lauren interrupted them. Jack still felt like Ianto would be better with someone who didn't tie him down like Jack and Lauren did. Ianto wasn't sure what he could do to convince Jack that he wanted to be with him, no matter what.

"I'm with you, and I'm not going anywhere," he said. "And if you're not ready to leave Lauren, that's fine. I understand. But know that the offer is there, when you are."

Jack sighed. "I know, and it's not that I don't want to go out some night, or that I don't trust someone like Gwen or your sister to take care of Lauren. But I have to go to work every day and leave her, and it seems selfish to leave her again to go see a movie if I don't have to."

"It's not selfish," said Ianto. He knew Jack wasn't nervous so much as he had a guilt complex like few others. Jack had offered to watch Lauren so Gray and Carys could enjoy a night out on their own, only for them to be struck and killed by a drunk driver coming home. Ianto could only imagine Jack's fears about the same. "You still need to take care of yourself, and sacrificing everything for Lauren won't help her in the end."

"I know," Jack murmured. He forced a smile. "Look, I'll think about it. And in the meantime, I'll come meet your family before our first proper date. We'll just keep doing things out of order, like we have been."

"Works for me," Ianto smiled. "Thank you."

"Thank you for understanding," Jack replied, but Ianto sensed he was still troubled. He did not mean to pressure Jack about going out at all, but wanted to reassure him that there were good people who would watch Lauren for him so he could enjoy a night out, and that it was all right for him to do so. Hopefully Jack would come around, but even if he didn't, Ianto wasn't too upset. He wanted to be with Jack, and if that meant they took Lauren with them for an occasional dinner out and stayed in at the flat on weekends, that was fine. He was happier than he'd been for a long time, and dinner and a movie wouldn't change that.