Affairs of the Heart

Chapter 38

Sitting down under the tree by the lake, Ianto sat watching the ducks throwing bits of his muffin at them taking the odd sip from his soda. It was a beautiful late summer afternoon, the trees shading the diners from its heat.

"What is it about ducks?" Tosh said trying to lighten the moment.

"They're greedy," Ianto said as he tossed another bit of his muffin at one of them.

"When I was little we had this park where we lived. My grandmother and I used to go there every Saturday to feed the ducks. She called them God's little mischief makers, always to making people laugh."

Jack smiled at her attempt to make conversation. He gave her ten out of ten for effort. At least they had got him here. He would wait a few moments and disappear for a short while, and Tosh could have her word.

As he threw another piece of the muffin looked up as he heard Tosh gasp.

"Oh no!" Tosh burst out as shrank down in an effort hide herself and put her face into her hands.

Ianto looked up, surprised at her actions saw a man heading towards her calling out her name.

"My little Toshiko, my little rose," his voice rang out as he pulled one her hands way from her face and kissed it.

There was a brief struggle and she snatched it away and stared angrily at him. As she did the man pulled up a chair next to Jack.

"Jack, here you are at last." He said as he looked between Jack and Ianto. "And I see your still playing lost and found." Ianto glanced between Jack and the strange man. Jack was sitting with his arms crossed a look of thunder on his face.

"What part are you up to Jack, the part where he's found? " The strange man studied Ianto then added, "No. By the look on his face he's still lost."

Ianto stared in open mouthed astonishment. He had thought Jack had been dressed theatrically when he first met him but he had nothing on this person. He looked like a gunfighter who was wearing a jacket that might be found in some 80's revival rock show. And those boots!

As he looked closer he looked like as if he was actually armed. He looked up across at Jack whose face was growing darker with every moment.

"John Hart." he said as he narrowed his eyes.

"Jack," he replied in the same tone. "Well isn't this pleasant, a nice Saturday by the side of the lake having lunch, oooh." John Hart took Ianto's glass and took a long sip, screwed up his face and looked at the contents.

"Is this what passes for a drink on this planet?" He said, as Ianto snatched his drink back. There was a brief tussle as some of soda spilled onto the grass. As he recovered the glass Ianto looked into the glass then back at John Hart.

"I remember this one time on Aterion 5 , Jack and I had this bender ,wow, there was this one being, he had 15 appendages and 7 orifices ... " he started to say conversationally.

"What do you want?" Jack interrupted glaring at him.

"A hello would be nice for a start big boy," John replied as he took a deep breath. "Do you know how hard it has been to track you down?"

"I had no desire for you to find me," Jack replied leaning forward now

"I remember when all you had for me was desire," John Hart replied rolling the word desire and raising his eyebrows up and down.

Jack stood up and pointed towards the trees. "Move" he commanded.

"Oh my Toshiko," John Hart said as he stood up. "I will never forget those fabulous weeks the earth or should I say the universe shifted on it axis," he blew her big a kiss.

"MOVE," Jack shouted at him as he grabbed John Hart's arm and began dragging him towards the trees by the pathway next to the cafe.

"What did he mean nothing but desire for him?" Ianto asked as he watched them move away unable to tear his eyes away at the spectacle of John Hart being led away by the elbow by Jack.

"It's complicated," she advised taking a quick sip of her drink to steady herself. "John Hart and the Captain were partners, lovers." she explained as Ianto jerked his head around to look at her.

"In what way lovers!" he burst out startled at her revelation.

"In every way," she struggled to explain.

"But I thought, he just said you and him," Ianto sputtered as he saw her turn a deep red.

"Yes. Yes "She swallowed, "I had a temporary lapse of good judgement". She tried to explain.

"I wouldn't call weeks temporary," Ianto stated. He was about to add more but stopped when he saw the look on her face.

"But you said him and the captain," Ianto said reeling at the events and revelations of the past few moments.

"The problem is" Tosh said realising this was her moment to set the record straight. "They were in the past, but they're not now. I mean Jack's not interested in him". She added quickly, "Look yesterday I know I said Jack had found someone special, but I should have made myself clear. " She paused "It's you!" she said in a heavy whisper.

"Me!," Ianto said startled.

"Yes," she whispered. "He would never want you to know I told you this Ianto, but he secretly has feelings for you."

"Has he said so?" he stammered.

"Not in so many words, but I've known, look...he's not said anything because he's not certain you would be interested in him."

She stopped as she saw Jack return with what she could swear was a split lip.

He looked at Ianto and Tosh, it would appear he had interrupted something, Tosh was biting her lower lip and Ianto... Ianto was looking at him and by the look Tosh had said something. Good. Tosh had set the record straight he was on his own and looking, he smiled at Ianto, looking at him right now.

"You Ok?" he said to Ianto.

Wide eyed and blinking Ianto struggled to order his thoughts "Yeah, yeah" he stuttered "I, I think I'm, I'm about as good an Ok as I have been for some time."

"Good." Jack said taking up his sandwich and taking a bite he winced slightly as filling stung his lip.

twtwtwtwtwtw

Jack dragged John Hart through the trees to a place where they could not been seen from the cafe.

"What do you want?" Jack asked.

"I thought I would come and check out your new domestic situation," he said "how's it working out there, lover boy figured it out yet."

"Leave him out of this" Jack said fury in every word at the mention of Ianto.

"You used to take better care of your lovers." John remarked . " He's pretty cute, you know if it doesn't work out, maybe him and me," he paused, "you know there are things he and I could do that would ensure he would never forget me."

"Go anywhere near him and I can't guarantee your safety," Jack replied steel in his voice.

"I remember when you felt like that about me," John said.

"What do you want?" Jack interrupted his arms crossed.

"I met your little team, team Torchwood, they're doing very well without you. Tosh was a most incredible distraction, wow who would have thought..." he stopped as he saw the look on Jacks face

"You were explaining what you wanted," he interrupted.

"I wonder if tea boy , oh that was his nick name wasn't it" John said sarcastically, "can ever give you what we had once?"

"Don't ever let me hear you refer to him as that ever again," Jack said through his teeth.

"Whoa did I hit a raw nerve," he said as he stepped back wards as Jack took a step towards him.

" Lost boy, then", John retorted as he saw Jack launch himself at him. "You used to have better taste," he said as he threw a fist as Jack collided with him.

"Not from what I can see," Jack grunted has he floored John.

"Is that it?" Jack asked as he stood up over John. "You've found me mission accomplished."

"You could leave all this," John said with an almost desperate edge to his voice as he felt his ribs. "Come with me, the fun we could have," he offered.

"I have unfinished business," Jack said looking back towards the lake.

"Ah love, I remember it well, I hope it works out for you" he replied as he pulled out his wrist strap and began to disappear.

"Oh by the way, I found your brother" he said as he vanished.

"Gray" Jack cried out in surprise.

twtwtwtwtwtwtw

This can't be right,' Ianto said to himself, as he laid in bed trying tried to make sense of the swirl of jumbled, mixed up thoughts that raced through his mind.

'You'

'What the hell was Tosh talking about'? He might have secret desires for the Captain thanks to a recent revelation, which he admitted explained a lot of the content of his dreams, well the enjoyable ones anyway.

And what the hell had John Hart meant by playing lost and found and by the look on his face he was still lost?

Jack and John Hart!

John Hart and Tosh!

This would take some serious thinking to work out.

What did he mean on this planet, and that outfit? The man looked like a reject from a bad science fiction convention. Well maybe that explained the comment.

He didn't get it; this was like one of those chaotic dreams that plagued him.

He secretlyhas feelings for you, isn't that what she had said. Wouldn't that be ironic if Jack was lying right now thinking him about him, while he was here thinking about Jack. He pulled his hand though his hair and let out a deep breath.

She must be mistaken; he couldn't even begin to imagine someone like Jack would be interested in someone like him.

He knew he desired Jack plain and simple. He filled his senses, he loved being around him. 'Truth was there was nothing plain and simple about all this, he told himself, 'you've had fallen in love with your boss.'

'He secretly has feelings for you' he recalled how his heart had leapt in his chest when Tosh has spoken those words. You know Tosh has known him, a lot longer than he had. No, Tosh was being nice, no matter what he might feel, Jack would not be interested he was sure.

Jack was a friend, a good friend, first real friend he had had since Lisa. He took a deep breath let's just think about this for a moment, you found out Jack was on his own, Jack had lost someone important and has now found someone special,

'YOU'

The one thing he hated about all this was feeling of hope that had surged through him when she had spoken. 'Look,' he told himself 'you were incredibly lucky, you found Lisa, the time you had together was short , but someone loved you and you loved them.' Even in his wildest dreams he couldn't image he could be so lucky to have someone like Jack in his life. He should be grateful for what was.

He turned over onto his back; he wished Tosh had not said a word. He was a nobody, nothing, someone like Jack wouldn't look twice at. And he hated that her words had for a fleeting moment, had given him the hope that there might be the faint possibility, that Jack might feel something for him.

God, if only he knew for sure. If he knew for sure, he would...'Yeah what would you do", he asked himself as felt swept apart by his feelings, 'well it would start with a kiss', and he heard a voice in is head say. And he felt his breath catch as he imagined his lips on Jacks, oh to taste him Lisa had told him he tasted all sweet and salty at the same time. He wondered if Jack tasted like that.

There were other things he had quite a list he would just love to pull out and unbutton that shirt, undo that belt buckle, run his down and feel...'.'What did another man' erect penis feel like' he thought "bloody nice" he heard a voice in head say. If his dreams were any guide you could grasp each other's as the same time and... He turned over on his front.

Had he ever wanted Lisa this much, he tried to recall. Sort of, he had loved her, they had made love. But he couldn't recall the same intensity of sheer lust he felt for this man. If only, if only he knew for sure, he turned back over on this his back, wild dreams that's all he had. Sometimes he wished that horrible creature from his nightmares would tear him apart for real. He turned over again and saw the time on his clock was 4.34 am he let out a deep sigh as another image came to him this time of Jack on his knees, his mouth on his ..., groaning he got out of bed and headed for the shower.