10
Jack's voice boomed in the room.
Ianto jumped from the seat, nearly falling on the floor. "Plus, tell me how the hell you got out of the living space upstairs."
The harsh tone of his voice echoed off the walls and made Ianto flinch. "Did you not realize I would be alerted when you left the safety of my living quarters?"
"I…um…I came down to get my laptop," Ianto stammered, walking around the chair.
"Answer the question," he demanded. "How did you get out of the living space upstairs?"
"Please, don't be mad at me, Jack," Ianto replied, stepping back until he is standing against the wall. "I'm sorry."
He pinned Ianto's body to the wall under his lean frame and raises his hands above his head. "I suggest you answer the question, Ianto. Do not make me ask you again."
"I, um…I keyed in the six-digit code and opened the door, but I reactivated the alarm before I left," Ianto stammered, pulling against his hold.
His brows roses as he glares down at him. "And my office—"
"I keyed in codes to both deactivate and activate the alarm," Ianto replied, turning away from his dark eyes.
"Now, would be a good time for you to tell me just how good of a memory you have," he growled in a low, throaty tone. "Well? I am waiting."
"It's pretty good if I focus on what I want to recall," Ianto replied with a tremor in his voice.
"Then tell me, what is the deactivation code to the common room?" he asked in a clipped tone of voice.
Ianto closed his eyes and recalled the memory of them standing in front of the door. "976320 and to reactivate the alarm…426803."
"Do not move," he commanded, walking over to the keypad. "Close your eyes!"
Ianto heard him key in some numbers. When the control panel emits two consecutive high-pitched beeps, he keyed in six digits. Then, he repeated the process with a different set of numbers.
Ianto's eyes opened and widened as Jack walked back over to where he is standing. He takes hold of Ianto's hand and tugs him into the hallway.
His lips wee pressed into a thin white line, and he was clenching his jaws.
"You may have your laptop tomorrow, Ianto, but not until security perimeters have been installed on it," he growled, standing in front of the control panel of the office. "I changed the codes, so turn around."
Ianto breathed a heavy sigh.
"You realize that didn't work, right? I still know what they are," he replied, chewing on his lower lip. "I mean—"
"Explain yourself, Ianto," he commanded, pressing his frame into Ianto's body once again.
Ianto closed his eyes.
"720036 is the new deactivation code and 134914 now activates the alarm," Ianto said, barely above a whisper.
"You are trying my patience, Sweetling," he said, cupping his chin. "Open your eyes, and look at me. How do you know the new codes? I know you did not see what I did."
Ianto's lower lip pouted.
"The pitches of the numbers from zero to nine are unique," Ianto replied as his eyes brimmed with tears. "Between your office, the common room, and the codes upstairs, I now know what each of the ten numbers sounds like because the control panels are all tied together and on the same wavelength."
He cast his eyes downward, avoiding Jack's gaze.
"Set the alarm, Ianto," he ordered, taking a step back.
"What?"
"You heard me. I did not stutter. I said…set the alarm."
Ianto turned to face the wall. Then he keyed in the numbers and pressed the pound button.
The light on the wall flashed from green to red, indicating the alarm was now engaged.
Jack shook his head.
Taking Ianto's hand in his, he pulls him along the hallway. When they reach the iron stairwell, Ianto pulled his hand from his grasp.
Jack spun around, taking hold of his wrist as he half pulled and half dragged him up the stairs.
Ianto stumbled and growled as the rough surface bites into the pads of his bare feet, still trying to pull free with growing anger.
Glaring down at Ianto, Jack stormed back down several stairs and then hoists him over his shoulder.
Then he continued his upward track, taking the stairs two at a time. At the top of the platform, Ianto saw Owen sitting on one of the two couches in the little waiting area.
"I see you found your damsel in distress." He sneered as Jack dumped Ianto on the other couch and Ianto's rattling growl was deep and threatening as he decided that he didn't want to be the 'wife' in this relationship.
Jack's look of surprise as he spun to face his mate was epic.