Hart and Jones Chapter 9 (This is for Pamela and Yvonne- my girls!)
A/N1: Sorry for the delays lately! Between work and family (and a mistake known as a cute guy, grr. Lesson learned: boyfriends come and go but fanfiction is forever!) I've not been as inspired to write. But my desire is back back back so hopefully I will update more frequently!
A/N2: I use a couple words that I DO. NOT. LIKE. They are used to help illustrate Ianto's feelings but please understand, I do NOT use these words myself. I find them offensive but also felt that they *shudder* show what I need to show: fear. So please remember that I do NOT approve of the words, especially when used against those I care about. It was hard for me to even write them!
O_O_O_O_O
Evan ignored the man brooding next to him. His thoughts were on the meeting. And on Ianto Jones.
Somehow the little slut had cast a spell over him. Oh, he still wanted the company but more than that he wanted Ianto on his arm. On the bed, begging for him. Screaming.
He glanced out the window towards his brother's penthouse.
A gasp threatened to escape him as he watched the object of his desires lean against the glass of the window. No, not leaned. Pressed. John had Ianto pressed against the glass and they were naked. They touched and kissed as he watched. His groin tightened, his cock stirred. He couldn't take his eyes off of them.
Once John was out of the way, he would have Ianto. Once he was out of the way...
Yes, all he needed to do was order Callis to kill John and it would be the end of it all. And it would be so easy. Callis hated John; loathed him with every fiber of his being. And surely the con man wouldn't care not having Ianto as the spoils of war, so to speak. Not with the obscene amount of money he was being paid. Never mind the fact that he wasn't going to share.
Evan licked his lips and forced himself to look away from the rather enticing scene across the street. He had a great deal to plan, he thought, as he pushed the 'close curtain' button (he didn't want the other man to look over and see Ianto unclothed). Not only was there John and Ianto to deal with, there was also the company. Even when (not if, WHEN) his brother was dealt with, he had reason to believe that his father would still refuse to hand over the title of heir.
The stupid bastard simply refused to see sense. All because of a few mistakes that he'd made in the past. It was EVAN who had stuck around through all the shit, not his brother. No! Trevor Milton had run away as soon as he was able, had forsaken his true name and had distanced himself as much as possible from his own blood. All because of a stupid little slut. Well, Evan Milton would not be so weak. He would rid himself of the pestilence that was his brother, take his brother's lover as his own and take his rightful place as heir to his family company.
It was a perfect plan.
O_O_O_O
"We are surrounded by literally hundreds of restaurants from dozens of alien cultures and yet THIS is where you want to eat?"
Ianto laughed and tugged at his fiance's hand. "Sorry but I'm craving a cheeseburger."
"So plebeian."
"Ooh, reading the dictionary now are we?"
"You and your cheek!"
"Thought you liked my cheeks."
John threw his head back and laughed. "Okay, cheeseburger it is then!"
The former Time Agent allowed his young lover to pull him through the door into the diner. The Welshman had been surprised to learn that McDonald's was not only still in existence but that it was the most profitable restaurant that served 'real 21st Century cuisine'.
And he wanted a cheeseburger so he would get one, dammit, or he wasn't engaged to Captain John Hart (born Trevor Milton).
Ianto looked around in glee. It was almost identical to the McDonald's he'd frequented in London except for the serious lack of a counter. How did they order?
Directly inside the door was a sign that said "Please seat yourself", both in writing (5 different languages) and out-loud (in Earth Basic). Ianto happily steered John towards a booth with a good view of the entire restaurant.
"Ooh! This is nice!" Ianto splayed his hands on the table's surface. The words 'welcome to McDonald's! Please make your selection from the menu console in front of you!' caught his attention. Instead of waiting in line at the counter, orders were placed from your table or booth (via a PDA sized device that slid up the middle of the table) and brought out by the servers. Efficient, futuristic and fun.
"Get whatever you want, Eye Candy."
Ianto had a good deal of fun scrolling through the choices. Most of the menu was familiar to him but there were some things he'd never seen before. There were more vegetarian, even vegan options than he remembered and there was an entire section of foods 'suitable for most non-human lifeforms'. If it weren't for the fact that he had a craving for a cheeseburger he might have been tempted to sample the Guptyu salad.
"What are you getting?" he asked as he played with the interactive menu console. Ooh, there were games to occupy them while they waited. Nice!
"You pick. I don't know this food," John added when he saw the scowl aimed at him.
"Oh, alright." Quickly figuring out the controls, Ianto ordered them both cheeseburgers, chips and milkshakes.
Twenty minutes later and John had to admit, he LOVED fast food.
"This is going to murder my figure you know."
"Quit grumbling. Besides," Ianto said with a smirk. "I know a wonderful tried-and-true method for dropping a few pounds."
"Does it involved us being horizontal?"
"Hm... perhaps."
Ianto ordered something to go, then after they'd finished off their drinks, they walked back out to the sunshine filled street. Even after these last several weeks, it still felt so strange to be on 51st century Earth. It was also strange how relaxed people were in their attitudes. Strange but nice.
When Ianto and Jack had gone out together, they'd had to be careful about things like hand holding and kissing in public. There had been a few times when Ianto had felt fear when he would be with Jack. Comments like 'queer', 'faggot' and worse, the threatening looks sent their way had sickened and dismayed him. Jack, brave and arrogant Jack, had refused to be afraid or let anyone tell him how to act. But he had taken Ianto's safety into consideration despite his own opinion. He would pull his arm free or just smile whenever Ianto would dodge his kisses. He had understood that it wasn't embarrassment that made Ianto nervous. It was about what might happen to them if the wrong sort, the homophobic, saw them and caught them alone.
But in the future it was much more common to see two men together. He had a feeling it had something to do with the inclusion of aliens into their lives. There were many alien cultures that practiced same-sex relations. And since many of these species were allies as well as good for business, it would stand to reason that what they saw as normal and fine would leak over into human culture.
"What are you thinking so deeply about? Me?" John wrapped an arm around his lover's waist as they walked.
Ianto shifted his take-out to his other hand so he could press closer to the other man.
"What else?" he quipped with a smile.
O_O_O_O
It had started raining about an hour ago. The windows rattled as thunder echoed loudly in the otherwise silent apartment.
Evan ignored the thunder in favor of sipping his scotch. He ignored his fiancée in favor of replaying what he had seen in his head.
"Darling, aren't you going to get dressed?"
He raised his eyes to look at the slender brunette. She wore a slinky dark blue dress with a high slit up the thigh. At one time he had found her beautiful but her spoiled personality coupled with the fact that it was an arranged marriage had quickly soured him to her. The sex was okay but not great so he had tired of it (and her) quickly.
"Why?"
She huffed and crossed her arms. This was tiresome These last few weeks Evan's head had been in the clouds. It was bad enough she was engaged to this corporate brat (as he was so whiny and demanding) but he couldn't even be bothered to pay attention to her.
"Dinner at Hily Tower, remember?" she said in an irritated tone. "Honestly, Evan! Ever since your brother came back you've been so empty-headed. What is wrong with you?"
He rose to his feet and flung his glass away. It shattered as it hit the wall, drops of alcohol sprayed everywhere.
"You stupid, ignorant bitch."
Before she could blink, Evan had her pinned to the wall and was ripping her dress off. She opened her mouth to scream but he clamped a hand over it. He forced her to the bed and climbed on top of her.
He didn't want to hear her scream. No, he wanted to hear Ianto. And he would. Soon.
O_O_O_O
"A Happy Meal?"
Ianto tried not to laugh at the obvious confusion on his lover's face. It had delighted the younger man to learn that the kids' meal was still available, toy and all. How could he not purchase one?
"How the hell do you put 'happy' into a meal?"
Taking pity on the man, Ianto rose and extracted the red box (complete with golden arches) from him. He opened the box and took out the toy.
"Every Happy Meal comes with a toy. Children are always more interested in the toy than the meal. The toys make children happy and in doing so guarantee parents at least a few minutes of peaceful dining. Hence the name: Happy Meal." He looked down at the toy in his hand. "Oh looky, I got my own mini Time Agent. Agent # 4838. And look; he comes with a little gun."
John plucked the plastic toy from Ianto and studied it. He clucked in annoyance. "It's just some generic person made to look similar to a Time Agent."
Ianto laughed and reached out a hand. He let out an "Oi!" when John held the toy out of reach. A game of Keep the Toy from Ianto ensued as the Welshman chased his lover around the penthouse. After maybe 10 minutes he finally caught the older (and extremely fit) man in the bedroom. He tackled John onto the bed and stole both the toy and a kiss. Well, John's reputation was at stake. No way could he allow Ianto to just get away with that!
Thirty minutes later and Ianto rolled over to snuggle against his lover's side.
"I agree," said John. "Happy Meal is a most appropriate name. Look at how much fun it brought us!"
"Hm, somehow I don't think that's what McDonald's quite had in mind."
"You complaining?"
"Nope. I'm thinking we should get Happy Meals on a frequent basis."
"Me too."
O_O_O_O
The next day found John at Milton Industries sitting in on a very dull meeting. Something about inventory or whatever. He wished that he'd at least had Ianto with him to keep him from falling asleep but his mother had insisted on taking her son's fiance to meet with a wedding coordinator. No doubt this would result in chaos. But of course, Ianto was too much of a gentleman to tell her no.
So John had kissed him and sent him on his way. Even though it meant he was sitting in the conference room in a suit that Ianto had laid out for him, bored out of his mind.
He really wasn't meant for this kind of work. He craved the danger and excitement of being a Time Agent and a con man. But he could also see how that affected Ianto. Every single time they were in space there was a good chance that Ianto would die. How man close calls had they had together already? All because of John's past. Hell, it was so checkered it was almost plaid! No, he would not risk Ianto's life just for the excitement. He would rather be stuck in a suit and tie everyday than risk that. At least that way it would minimize the risk.
Besides, he thought with a smirk, they could make their own excitement.
That train of thought was interrupted by a report landing on the table in front of him.
The thing he hated most about work was, well, the work. He banished to the back of his mind his thoughts of Ianto (or at least he tried to). The sooner this meeting was over the sooner he could hold his lover in his arms.
O_O_O_O
Speaking of Ianto... He was eternally grateful that Mrs. Milton had decided they'd done enough for one day. Never having planned a wedding, he'd had no idea how much went into one. There was the venue, the food, the cake, what to wear, how many people to invite, the décor... His head was swimming and his stomach rolling. How had his sister done this? How had Gwen, what with Torchwood and all?
He smiled as he thanked the coordinator. At least she was human so there was a good chance that it would be a human styled wedding.
He followed Mrs. Milton to a little diner that she claimed served the 'cutest sandwiches'. He followed obediently. Who was he to complain? For starters, the Miltons were funding the wedding and there was also the fact that he was starving.
The host showed them to a table and a server poured red wine into flutes for them. Just like at McDonald's, the menus slid up from the middle of the table.
"Pick whatever you like, darling."
"Yes, thank you, Mrs. Milton."
"Oh no, please, call me Madelina. After all," she said with a smile. "You are going to be a member of my family."
Ianto smiled a real smile and said, "Thank you, Madelina."
She positively beamed in return.
They ordered an appetizer to share and salads to start their meal. Madelina chose a pasta dish for her entree while Ianto found himself choosing the salmon. Huh. That was strange. He'd never been a big fish eater and salmon had never been one of his favorites.
When the food arrived Ianto found himself repulsed by the salad so he nibbled on the bread and vegetable starter. He nodded politely as his future mother-in-law chatted breathlessly about what colors they should choose. After all, she said, you really couldn't plan anything else until you knew what colors you wanted. Everything from the outfit he would wear to the size of the cake depended on it.
Just as she started talking to him about what sort of design they should use on the invitations, the entrees arrived.
Ianto stared at the plate, his mouth watering. For a man who did not like fish much he grabbed his fork and devoured it as politely as possible. And it was delicious! So light and flavorful. He would have to bring John here soon.
John. He wanted John. It wasn't that he missed him but instead he wanted to drag his lover into their bedroom, rip their clothes off and ride him with wild abandon.
He moaned just as their server inquired about dessert.
"I'll take that as a yes!" Madelina laughed. She ordered for them both.
Which was probably a good idea seeing as Ianto was having difficulty keeping his arousal secret.
When the dark chocolate mousse was brought out minutes later, even he forgot about having sex with John. Some things were more important. Like the sinfully rich mousse.
O_O_O_O
Callis ignored the people around him as he watched Ianto with Madelina Milton. He was sat across the street on a bench. A personal perception filter hid him from sight. This enabled him to observe Jones without being seen. He had followed them to the wedding coordinator's office and listened as they droned on about venues and colors.
It had been entertaining especially since he KNEW John Hart. He truly believed that Hart would laugh in Jones' face if he even mentioned a wedding cake. Most likely they would go to one of those places where they could elope. There wouldn't be a ceremony or a cake. It simply wasn't John Hart.
Now he sat on a bench wondering how long Madelina would be pestering Jones. Although, the young brat seemed to actually enjoy the matriarch's company. Must have been the thought of all that money...
He frowned as he saw a man walk past and pause by their table. It was only for a moment and then the man was gone. That was the fifth man to do that since they'd sat down. Not to mention that the coordinator's PA had also found himself hovering near by. Callis narrowed his eyes in thought. Even as attractive as Jones was, why were so many men swooning over him?
O_O_O_O
Ianto finished retching and flushed the toilet. He slowly slid down to the floor and rested his head on his knees.
The fish must have been undercooked or something, he thought. He slowly pushed himself to his feet and brushed the taste of vomit from his mouth.
"Oh darling, I'm home!" John sang out as he walked through the front door.
Ianto was quick to splash his face with cold water and go meet him. He smiled at his bedraggled lover.
"How was the office?" he asked as he took John's jacket from him. Ooh, he was hungry. He wondered if they had any beef jerky.
"Exhausting. Look at this!" John flipped open a black briefcase and pointed. Nestled inside were about a dozen folders and several data pads. "I have to study all this for some stupid exam. It's like being back in school again!"
John was about to rant some more when he noticed how pale Ianto looked. He frowned.
"You alright?"
"Hm? Oh yes, I'm fine. Bit tired. Your mother wore me out."
"She'll do that." John chewed at his lip. "You know, we don't have to do this. The wedding that is."
"Wait," Ianto said. He looked worried. "I thought you wanted to marry me."
"I do. But we can just elope somewhere if you want. We don't have to do the whole big wedding thing."
"I don't mind. I mean," Ianto said with a blush. "Your parents seem really excited and they are paying for it..."
"Ianto, do you want a wedding?" John smiled as the blush deepened. If he was correct, it was slowly spreading to his lover's shoulders and chest.
"Well, I, er... that is..." Ianto looked away then mumbled, "Yes."
John stepped close to him and wrapped his arms around his waist. "Just please don't put me in yellow or pink. I look so pasty in those colors!"
The way his lover laughed made the whole damn day better.
"Oh, John, do we have any beef jerky? I'm craving some!"
"Yesterday it was a cheeseburger, today beef jerky - which I'll send out for now - what will it be tomorrow?"
"Shut up!"
O_O_O_O
Callis sat back in his seat with a sneer on his face.
"So, that's it huh? Well. Well well... well."
Before he'd returned from stalking Jones he had scanned the young man with his wrist strap. The results were clear as day. And they were most intriguing.
"Ianto Jones... you are indeed full of surprises, aren't you? And now it's not just one but two people in danger because of John Hart!"
As Callis laughed, across town Evan Milton was just climbing into bed next to his fiancée. He didn't even look at her. What did it matter that her face was bruised from last night? Stupid bitch shouldn't have fought him. It was his right, after all, to have her body whenever he chose.
Soon though he would have someone even more alluring, more interesting in his bed. Soon he would have Ianto Jones.
Then he would have everything.
O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O
TBC...
So, what has Callis found out? What colors will Ianto choose for his wedding? And isn't Evan total slime?