Hey. Thank you to everyone who has read this story. Makes me smile. Last chapter guys, hope you like it! Thank you to Louise who has been a brilliant beta.
Ianto woke up and for the first time in ages, he was smiling. No nightmares haunted his dreams, all he could feel was Jack's very much alive arms, wrapped around him. "Good morning," Jack said quietly. His voice was tired and lazy, but it made Ianto smile even more. It was rare for Jack to be there when he woke up naturally.
"Hey," Ianto smiled back. He moved his body around slowly, his muscles still felt as though they were asleep.
"What do you want to do today?" Jack smiled, his fingers tracing patterns over Ianto's pale arms.
"I was thinking about going to see Sean," Ianto answered quietly, he hadn't spoken to Sean since their last phone conversation. Even though that was only yesterday, it felt like weeks.
"Can I come?" Jack asked warily.
"If you want."
"Do you want me to?"
"Yeah," Ianto smiled. "I'm going to have a shower and then I'll phone him."
"Okay, I've got some things to do." Ianto nodded and climbed out of the bed. It was weird, climbing out of Jack's small bunk fully clothed, he wasn't even aware that Jack owned pyjama trousers.
Half an hour later, Ianto was dressed in a fresh pair of jeans and a white polo shirt. Mainly because he didn't want to wear a suit to see his uncle. He just wanted to be Ianto Jones, twenty four year old normal man. Though he knew he could only be Ianto Jones, twenty four year old man. He had given up the hope of any normality in his life ever since he lost Lisa.
He looked around for Jack wondering where the older man could be, but when he couldn't see him he gave up on trying to find him and grabbed his mobile from his desk. He dialled the number nervously, he didn't know what to expect he just hoped his uncle would answer. Which he did.
"Hey, Uncle Sean, I'm sorry about yesterday," Ianto started. He sat on his swivel chair and kicked his legs slightly. "I didn't mean what I said. About you not being my father, truth is I guess you're the closest thing to a dad I'll ever know." Ianto heard the cog door open and looked up to see Owen, Toshiko and Gwen walking in together.
"Hey," they chorused quietly when they realised he was on the phone. He smiled back and rolled his eyes when Owen discreetly placed a muffin and cup of coffee on his desk.
"I was wondering if maybe you would come over for dinner tonight." Ianto didn't know why he was nervous, maybe it had something to do with his Uncle meeting Jack, but it shouldn't have. He and Jack were just friends? Though over the past couple of days, he knew he felt like they should be more. "Okay, my friend slash boss will be there too, so I'll see you at mine about half six okay." He finished the phone call with a smile.
Ianto walked over to Owen, muffin in hand and started to eat it. "Hey," he said casually as he sat on his desk.
"Everything okay with you and your uncle?" Owen asked, smiling as he watched Ianto eat the muffin.
"Yeah. Jack's meeting him tonight," Ianto smiled. "So they can conspire against which nut house to send me too."
"Look around mate, you're already in the best nut house around," Owen smirked.
"True, and I couldn't think of a better place to be," Ianto smiled. "Owen, I just wanted to say thanks."
"For?"
"Being an idiot. No really, for helping me through this week."
"Don't worry, that's what friends are for right? But every month, I'm going to do check ups on you. Weighing, blood pressure, make sure you're okay."
"Thanks."
"Hey, Ianto. Have you seen Jack? I've got some reports he wanted," Gwen smiled.
"Not since this morning," Ianto answered. "Just put them on his desk or something."
"Will do."
"So, you and Jack this morning?" Owen grinned. Ianto rolled his eyes and looked up as the cog door rolled open.
"Where have you been?" Gwen asked accusingly.
"Had some things to do," Jack smiled.
"Like what?" Toshiko asked.
"Doesn't matter," Jack replied vaguely. "Ianto, you got a minute?" Ianto turned around and smiled at Jack. "This way." Jack grinned.
Ianto followed silently. "Jack, where are we going?" he asked once they reached the SUV.
"I was thinking," Jack started. Ianto watched intently as Jack tried to think of what to say, something that hardly happened as the older man had a point of speaking and then thinking. "Your parents shouldn't be in the morgue."
"But it's Torchwood protocol," Ianto mumbled.
"But thanks to you, the case is closed. So their bodies can be laid to rest. And I think it would be nice for you to have a place to go and spend time with them."
"I'd like that." Ianto looked at Jack who was smiling at him. "So where are we going?"
"Breakfast, I promised pancakes that were cooked properly didn't I? And I know a nice little diner that does the best pancakes," Jack smiled.
Ianto couldn't help but smile as he sat in the diner with Jack. They ate silently and Ianto managed to eat most of his food, because Jack was right – they really were the best pancakes. He wondered what was happening between the two men, but figured Jack was just being nice, being the boss. A few sentimental conversations didn't change what they had, or at least that's what he thought.
"So, did you speak to your Uncle?" Jack asked once they finished their food. Jack had paid, despite Ianto's protest that he should at least pay for half.
"Yeah, he's coming over for half six, is that okay?"
"Sounds good. So we have till then to make dinner?"
"I was thinking take out," Ianto laughed. "I'm not the best cook."
"Lucky you've got me. We'll spend the day thinking of what to make," Jack smiled.
"You don't have to."
"I want to."
"But why?" Ianto asked. He hadn't meant for it to sound desperate, but he needed to know.
"What do you mean?"
"Why are you going to all this effort?"
"Because, your uncle means a lot to you. And you mean a lot to me." Ianto's heart jumped in its cage like an excited two year old, making his lips smile. "I mean, I know what we had was just casual, but I want something more. If you're willing to have me?" Ianto didn't answer with words, he pushed himself closer to Jack and pressed his lips to his.
"Depends how good a cook you are," Ianto smiled.
"It's a good thing I'm brilliant then isn't it."
"Not to mention awfully big headed," Ianto smirked. They walked hand in hand back to Ianto's house, both smiling like love sick teenagers.
They decided the best thing to make was pasta. Ianto was more than surprised when Jack told him to sit down and relax as he moved around the kitchen with such ease that made Ianto think that there was more to Jack than his superhero complex. Maybe, just maybe Jack could be domesticated. At half six there was a knock at the door and Ianto went to answer it.
"Hey," Ianto grinned as he welcomed his uncle in his house. Before his uncle could say anything arms were wrapped around him so tight he was sure he was going to stop breathing.
"You okay, Ianto?" His uncle asked kindly.
"Sorry, I just missed you." Ianto blushed slightly.
"I missed you too, you're okay right?"
"I'm okay, honest." Ianto smiled. "Come on, there's someone I want you to meet."
Jack had just finished setting the table when Ianto and Sean walked in. The first thing Jack noticed was how much Ianto looked like his uncle. Dark hair, pale skin. Jack smiled slightly at the thought, his Uncle looked a lot like Ianto's dad too.
"Hey, pleasure to meet you." Jack smiled after he introduced himself.
"Likewise." Sean shook Jack's hand with a smile. "I didn't know you cooked, Ianto."
"I don't, Jack made it."
"It looks great," Sean smiled.
"Thanks, it's been a while since I cooked a proper meal." Jack grinned sheepishly.
Ianto couldn't help but be surprised at Jack throughout the evening, his messy eating manners were replaced and he acted completely civilised at the dinner table. No boyish stories of aliens or past lovers. He spoke to Sean with fake confidence like a teenager meeting a loved ones family for the first time. Sean stayed for a good three hours, just catching up. Asking about work and everything that was going on in his nephew's life. At ten when he left he pulled Ianto to the side, telling him what a good man Jack was and that he was happy that he had settled down. Ianto couldn't help but smile. His life finally seemed normal.
"So good night?" Jack grinned.
"Yes, thank you." Ianto moved closer to Jack and wrapped his arms around him, just holding him close. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Jack's wrist strap started to beep.
"Rift activity," Jack groaned. Ianto couldn't help but laugh. He knew working for Torchwood he had given up the rights of having a normal life, but standing next to Jack holding him close he knew that being normal was seriously overrated. And running down the streets looking for Weevils that had breached out of the sewers, or fooling around with Owen at the hub, he decided that normal wasn't for him.
He wasn't stupid, he knew the life expectancy of a Torchwood employee wasn't very long, well except for Jack, but he wouldn't change it for the world. Because even when the darkness got too much, he knew Jack would be there.
The End