To his relief and surprise, admitting to himself that his feelings for Jack were not entirely platonic didn't turn out to have any effect on their friendship. They had grown so comfortable with each other that it just didn't matter all that much. They spent Friday lunch teasing Gwen, who had finally decided to give Rhys a chance, and she never mentioned anything they'd discussed the night before. (She did however catch Ianto later in the hallway to whisper a thank you and a good luck to him.)

Then came Saturday, and the regular party at Jack's. Ianto was trying to keep his calm, but for some reason he was anxious. He was fidgeting, and spent much longer than normally assembling an outfit, and then wasted another 20 minutes trying to fix his hair which chose that particular day to stick out in all possible directions.

It was seven o'clock when a pebble hit Ianto's window, startling him. He ran to look outside, itching to see Jack, and completely forgetting that he hadn't put on his shirt. He opened the window wider to talk to his friend.

'I'll be down in a sec, I just need to-'

'Get dressed?,' Jack finished for him with a grin. 'You don't have to do that on my account.'

Ianto rolled his eyes ostensibly, turning away from the window. He hoped he'd be quick enough for Jack not to notice the scarlet shade that adorned his cheeks. (He failed.) But Ianto also couldn't help but notice the butterflies that had certainly settled in his stomach for good.

'You can't take a compliment, can you?,' Jack called after him from the street.

'No,' Ianto replied, having run back to the window, his T-shirt still not properly on. 'And could you please stop yelling in front of my house?'

'Fine. But I'm not gonna stop complimenting you when I feel a compliment is in order.'

Ianto had to make an effort not to smile the dopiest grin ever at that.

'Just don't shout those compliments for everyone to hear, will you?'

'Scout's honour!,' Jack swore, putting his hand over his heart in faux solemnity.

'You were kicked off the scouts, remember?,' Ianto teased him, grabbing his jacket and his phone.

'Details,' the mumbled answer came from outside, barely audible to Ianto.

He smiled softly to himself, happy Jack couldn't see him then, because his expression was pretty tell-tale.

'Okay, I'm coming, so stop talking,' he told him through the open window as he made his way to the door.

Jack greeted him downstairs by opening the passenger door for him, and the only thing stopping Ianto from kissing him full on the mouth was the fact that they were in the middle of the street in front of his house. So he slipped into his seat, and thanked Jack with no mocking undertone whatsoever.

They drove to Chevy Chase in silence. Ianto's senses were heightened, picking up on every shift in Jack's body, every turn of the wheel or step on the gas. He kept his eyes on the passing images outside, but he didn't see any of them. His mind was all Jack, all he heard was Jack, all he smelled was Jack, all he saw was Jack, even though he wasn't actually watching him, and he was pretty sure that the taste on his tongue was Jack as well, despite the fact that it's been weeks since their kiss.

So he was also doing his best to keep his mouth shut, to not let any stray thought slip out of it.

And all Jack was doing as he was driving was stealing little glances at Ianto, wondering what kept him so preoccupied.

They arrived when the party crowd was still assembling, slowly filling the lounge, and spilling out onto the patio. Tosh and Owen were settled quietly in the kitchen, completely uninterested in the party outside. She was holding a large bowl of crisps, and putting handfuls of them into her mouth on a regular basis, while he sipped his bourbon from a glass, bored out of this world.

'You know what, guys?,' Owen said when the two boys entered. 'This is really getting old. There isn't even any more dirt about these idiots to talk about. And Gwen bailed on us. Why do you even bother with these, Jack?'

'Because it's fun.' Jack shrugged.

'And Gwen didn't bail on us, she's allowed to go out with people, you know,' Ianto added.

Owen groaned and winced.

'Et tu Brute contra me?,' he said. 'And anyway, since when do you two finish each other's sentences? What are you now twins or an old married couple?'

Ianto could feel a blush creeping back to his cheeks, so he turned his back to pour himself a drink (god, how he needed that).

'We just happen to both be right,' Jack said evasively (or at least that's what it sounded like to Ianto).

'Yeah, right, you couldn't be twins, 'cause your genes're a bit better than Jones'. Sorry, dude.'

Focusing on his glass, Ianto barely registered he was being addressed. When he realised that, he couldn't help but agree with Owen, though. And then, he chided himself for almost thinking, "he's too good for me". Because that wasn't the point.

Slowly, he turned to face his friends again, holding his glass in his two hands as firmly as he could without breaking it. He felt otherwise his hands would shake too violently to hide it.

'You also aren't an old married couple, 'cause none of those three things is the case, not yet anyway,' Owen went on. Ianto and Tosh exchanged a glance, her eyebrows shooting up in question. He answered with an infinitesimal shake of his head, and she nodded slightly in acknowledgement, as she stuffed her mouth full of crisps one more time. 'You're just both weird, man,' Owen finally finished and hiccupped. It was obviously not his first drink of the evening.

'Thanks,' Jack said happily, as if he'd just received a major compliment. 'You know what? Harper's kinda right. Let's go upstairs, fuck this bunch of imbeciles, shall we?'

'Finally wise words from you, master of the house!,' Owen told him, as he stood up from his chair grabbing his drink. He had to pass Jack on his way to the back staircase, and as he did, he hooked his arm around his friend's neck and planted a bourbon-flavoured kiss on his mouth. 'For once you talk sense, Harkness.'

Ianto felt a pang of jealousy in his gut. He knew it was completely unwarranted and stupid, but it was also entirely out of his control. He didn't notice Toshiko was right next to him until she grabbed him by the arm and led him upstairs after the other two.

'You'll get used to that,' she whispered to him.

He sent her a dubious look.

'Have you?'

She turned her eyes away, pretending he never spoke a word.

No one could actually tell how they ended up sitting cross-legged in a circle, with an empty bourbon bottle in the middle. It had happened as if on its own accord, soon after Gwen showed up before midnight. She had enjoyed her movie and dinner date with Rhys, and was almost willing to admit to liking the guy. But as she claimed she was still single, and she could make out with whoever she liked, someone proposed a game of spin-the-bottle, and without really taking a vote, it was somehow unanimously decided to be a good idea. Ianto had had a few drinks that succeeded in making him lightheaded and a tiny bit more reckless than usually, so he cheered the game on.

First it was Jack's turn, and the neck of the bottle pointed to Owen. And for the second time that night, the two best friends locked their lips for a moment. (Ianto was actively trying not to be bothered, but without much success.) Then Tosh, who was sitting to Jack's left, spun the bottle vigorously, almost letting it get out of their little circle. The neck once again pointed to Owen. Tosh's attempt at not showing how excited she was about it was a complete failure.

'You're all too lucky tonight,' Owen teased, as he leaned over to pull Toshiko flush against his chest and kissing her deeply, knocking air out of her lungs.

She couldn't stop smiling for the next five minutes straight.

Gwen's spin ended with the bottle pointing clearly to Ianto. She winked at him, before tugging him by the front of his shirt to kiss him on the mouth. Later, she lingered a second longer to whisper something in his ear. He wasn't sure he caught it right, but it sounded like she wished him good luck for his turn.

Owen took a large swig from another (half-empty) bottle of bourbon, before setting the one on the ground into motion. When it finally stopped, it wasn't clear where it was pointing to.

'I think it's Gwen,' Tosh said in a small resigned voice.

'I'm pretty sure it's you,' her friend told her, seeing her disappointment.

Jack eyed them for a second, glanced to Ianto who gave him an exasperated look, then examined the bottle carefully.

'I'd say it's an inch to Tosh's side. Sorry, Gwen, you'll have to pass on the unique opportunity of having a drink out of Harper's mouth.'

She tried to suppress a grin.

'I'll live.'

'Very funny, Harkness,' Owen said, leaning towards Tosh again. She could barely stop herself from lunging herself onto him.

Ianto was pretty sure this kiss was longer than the previous one, and that Toshiko didn't mind the taste of bourbon on Owen's lips, and that she would probably kiss him forever if she only could. Finally they broke apart, and Jack was watching them with a little smile.

'Gotta admit she's a good kisser, right, Owen?,' he asked, and his friend's eyes dropped to the floor in search of his bottle.

Having taken a long swig of booze, Owen eventually answered.

'Right, she is. Wouldn't have guessed, huh?'

Tosh looked giddy.

'Your turn, Ianto,' Gwen said, as if he needed reminding. He'd only been holding back because he knew just how much his hand was shaking, and he didn't want the others to think he was afraid or nervous because of this stupid game.

Keeping his hand as steady as he could, he spun the bottle. His nervousness got the better of him and the bottle only turned a couple of times, before stopping with a wobble, and pointing squarely right where Ianto wanted it to point.

At Jack.

He breathed in not to get any more shaky. He kept his eyes on the bottle for another moment, scared that what he was going to see on Jack's face wasn't what he'd like it to be.

'Guess you're lucky tonight, too,' he heard his friend's voice to his left.

He looked at him finally. Jack's eyes were sparkling mischievously, matching the crooked grin arching his lips.

'Guess I am,' Ianto said as nonchalantly as he could manage.

He didn't wait for Jack to make a move. Instead, he pulled him close, putting his hand on the back of Jack's neck, kissing him like he'd been wishing to do since the moment he remembered how good their first kiss had felt.

Initially, Jack seemed surprised by Ianto taking charge, but soon enough he was kissing him back just as fiercely. It took a fraction of a second for them to completely forget they were not alone, and their friends were watching them with their eyes wide open.

Eventually, Gwen cleared her throat, bringing them abruptly back to reality.

'That's enough, guys, you don't have to eat each other's tonsils out,' she said.

They flinched apart, automatically dropping their eyes to the floor. Both out of breath, they couldn't respond to Gwen, and even if they could speak, it was hardly good retorts that was on their minds at the moment. They sat back down, further apart than before, tense and rigid, eyes wandering everywhere but towards the other. The silence in the room was deafening, despite the steady vibrations from the heavy bass in the music playing downstairs.

'Oh, by the way,' Gwen finally spoke, clearly in an attempt to dissolve the sudden tension. 'Rhys asked me to prom, and I said yes.'

'What?,' Jack snapped out of his speechlessness. 'We don't do prom.'

'No one's asked you, have they, Jack?,' she said. 'I know we don't, but you've all been badgering me to give him a chance, so don't hold it against me that I'm following your advice.'

Owen frowned, crossing his arms over his chest.

'You were supposed to go out, not parade with him as his trained monkey to that idiotic thing.'

She glared at him.

'I'm not making any of you go, I just wanted to tell you, and say that if any of you wanted to change your mind, it'd be great, 'cause I wouldn't feel as big of an idiot.'

'I'd go to keep you company, but I don't see myself getting a date a week before prom, so-,' Tosh started. 'And I don't wanna end up one of those sad people sitting in the corner while their not-so-single friends make out under the bleachers.'

'Tosh, the prom's at the Jefferson,' Jack reminded her. 'No bleachers.'

'I meant it metaphorically. But you get the idea. Sorry, Gwen.'

The latter pulled her friend into a one-armed hug, and murmured an "it's fine" into her hair.

'Why don't we all go, though? In solidarity, I mean?,' Ianto cut in.

That finally succeeded in making Jack look at him; granted, it was in surprise, but it seemed the built-up sexual tension between them got sidetracked for the moment.

'Why would we wanna do that?,' Owen asked. 'We've spent the last three years fighting the system by not going to any of those, why fold now?'

Ianto shrugged, almost dismissively.

'Dunno, maybe because our friend's going, and she would rather have us around, in case Rhys gets too annoying to put up with any longer?'

'Okay, fair point.' Owen bit his lip, and his eyes narrowed. 'So- How about a vote? Those in favour of sentencing ourselves to a night of torture and misery, in order to stand guard to Gwen having a good time at the prom, raise your hand.'

Gwen rolled her eyes at him, but the small smile that broke out despite her trying to suppress it showed just how much she appreciated what they were offering to do. She raised her hand immediately, together with Ianto and Toshiko. Jack and Owen exchanged a glance. Whatever they would choose, majority was already in favour of Ianto's idea. There was no reason for them to oppose.

So Jack raised his hand, and a moment later, reluctantly, so did Owen.

'Ladies and gentlemen, we are going to prom,' Jack said with a dazzling grin. For a split second, his eyes fell on Ianto, who'd been watching him since the beginning of the vote, and plotting silently.

As night went on, the thought of going to prom began to grow on everyone, even the initially highly unenthusiastic Owen. In the midst of their planning for the dance, he even offered to play Toshiko's boyfriend in case she was bothered by anyone unworthy of her. She was delighted, although she was aware he was likely to forget everything he said after so many drinks.

'I can be your bodyguard if Owen forgets,' Ianto whispered to her, taking advantage of the others being engaged in more arrangements for the coming weekend.

'Thanks, but I'll be fine.' She smiled gratefully. 'Anyway, you'll probably be too busy keeping tabs on Jack.'

Ianto looked at her quizzically.

'Oh, come on. I'm not blind,' she said.

'Well, I am apparently,' he murmured.

Their conversation was interrupted by Owen, who swept Tosh away effortlessly from her seat.

'We're going downstairs to mingle with the mob, in preparation for the horror next week. You coming, Jones?' He had caught Tosh by her waist, and now she was clinging to his chest, making both of them sway slightly. 'Harkness is too antisocial for this sort of thing, so you can both stay here and be sociopaths together.'

Ianto had almost started to get up to join them, but Jack staying behind changed things. It gave him the opportunity he was hoping for, and he'd expected it to only pop up on Monday at the earliest.

'Yeah, guess I'm not the mob-loving kind either,' he mumbled with a nervous half-smile.

With a shrug, and a tipsy girl on each arm, Owen made his way to the door and out of the Attic. Ianto downed the remainder of his drink, not saying a word or looking up at Jack, who was sitting on the couch, directly opposite him.

'Please, don't tell me going to an American high school junior prom was your dream when you came here,' Jack said, breaking the silence.

'Not particularly.' Ianto took a deep breath and finally locked his eyes with Jack's sparkling, hypnotically blue ones. 'I was thinking, though-'

His voice trailed off. It felt weird, wrong even. As if it should be fireworks and starlight, and roses, a cheesy rom-com moment. There was nothing he could do to make it that way, and he'd already started talking, and there was his maybe only chance to do this, and the booze kind of made it easier.

He got up. That was all he could think of. He crossed the room in a few strides and stopped right in front of Jack.

'I was thinking that maybe we could go together,' he blurted out before his courage could run out.

'We are going together, Ianto.'

'I know, I-.' He closed his eyes. 'I meant- You and I. We could- You could be my plus one. If you'd like.'

There was silence. Fearful, he opened his eyes and glanced at Jack, who was gaping at him, open-mouthed (but somehow still smoking hot and almost otherworldly attractive).

'You're asking me to be your date to the prom?,' he asked with disbelief.

'Er- Yeah.'

Jack scrambled to his feet, standing just a few inches from Ianto. He scanned his face with his eyes, still surprised, as if checking for signs of mockery or insincerity.

'Yeah. I'd like that,' he said at last.

'Okay.'

Ianto stayed serious, staring back at Jack, not knowing what his next move should be.

A minute passed, and Jack dropped his gaze, biting his lip and folding his arms in front of him.

'So- Was the kiss so good you thought you'd take me to prom?,' he asked, faking nonchalance.

'No. Wasn't the best I've had actually.'

'No?' Jack looked honestly hurt.

Ianto shook his head.

'No. 'Cause this time it wasn't like you wanted to kiss me. You kinda had to.'

A series of emotions flashed through Jack's face, from relief to amusement, finally to happiness.

'I don't have to kiss you now,' he said softly. 'But I really, really want to.'

'Go ahead then,' Ianto told him, grabbing the front of Jack's shirt to pull him closer.

Their lips met half-way, their kisses hasty and eager, their hands unleashed, wandering to the other's face, and neck, and chest, and back. Soon enough, Jack fell back to the couch he'd just left, with Ianto in his lap, kissing him more passionately than he'd ever kissed anyone before. They were out of breath, giddy and blissful when they pulled apart. Ianto moved off of Jack to sit in the far end of the sofa, keeping only his feet in the other boy's lap.

'You keep surprising me, Jones, Ianto Jones.'

'Do I? Damn, now I have to keep getting better at this, so that I don't disappoint.'

Jack barked out a laugh.

'No, you don't. I wouldn't change a thing about you.'

'I would,' Ianto said casually. 'One thing I'd like to change- I want to get out of here.' That made Jack squint in query. 'I mean- They'd already seen us snogging tonight once, why make them jealous twice?'

A/N: I hope everyone's having happy holidays! And that you liked the chapter! I'm currently finishing chapter 12, so still - despite all hurdles in my way - I'm a little bit ahead. Not sure if there'll be another update this year, or very early in January, I'll see. And for now, have fun this holiday season!