7
Ianto started for the patio again. "Do me a favor and don't mention last night to anyone."
"I agree. We'll keep the romantic interlude our little secret," Jack said. "I only wish the tow truck had arrived a few minutes later."
A wicked chuckle followed him outside. His skin flushed, and he hoped no one else noticed. Mrs. Cooper gave Ianto a searching glance. Whatever the older woman saw made her wink. Ianto turned away. Mr. Cooper cleared his throat. "Well now, why don't we get started? I think we're all eager to know if Jack Harkness is going to be part of our future here in Cardiff."
Right. Ianto certainly wanted to know if he'd be staring up at the evidence of his romantic interlude every Sunday for the rest of his life.
.
.
.
Ianto sorted through a huge box of angel's wings. A few crooked halos were shoved in there, too. Every year he told the kids to put the halos in with the shepherds' headdresses and Wise Men's crowns so they wouldn't get crushed, and every year a few forgot.
Christmas was in two weeks, and in Ianto's world that meant rehearsals for the annual Christmas pageant at church. Directing the pageant was always bitter sweet. His mother used to direct it every year. After she died, Ianto had stepped in to take over, just like he'd taken over nearly every aspect of his mother's life. But of all the duties Ianto had inherited, the pageant was the one he enjoyed the most. It was by no means elaborate, but the messages of peace on earth and a Savoir sent to save mankind touched his heart in a way nothing else did.
He looked around the storage closet at the boxes of costumes and swallowed a lump in his throat. This year would probably be his last as the director. The congregation had already voted to invite Jack Harkness as the new minister. He would officially take over after the New Year.
Jack had left town to prepare for the move, and Ianto hadn't heard from him since. Not that he'd expected to. No doubt, he was relieved to get away. Ianto was grateful he'd left, before he got it into his head that he'd fallen in love with a complete stranger. Which was ridiculous. A few stolen moments didn't mean anything. The emotions he'd felt that night were all part of the sudden dissatisfaction with his life. The sense that he'd been left behind while everyone else had moved on without him.
Ianto picked up a box and carried it out to the sanctuary. He tried to shove all thoughts of Jack out of his mind, something he hadn't been successful at doing since he'd left. Which made Ianto dread what would happen once he returned. How was he supposed to listen to his sermons when all he could picture was dancing under the moonlight on the side of the road? Thank goodness he'd already put in his notice as church secretary.
There was no way he could work for Jack.
he'd never be able to look him in the eye.
He would probably feel awkward too, especially after the way Mary Cooper had thrown them together.
By next Christmas, Jack would be firmly entrenched, and he would have moved on to a new life.
Moving on meant he had to stop mooning over Jack like a teenager with a crush on the new boy at school. So, he'd bitten the bullet and called John Henry, who had turned out to be very nice and very apologetic about missing his frantic call. To make up for the disastrous non-encounter, he'd agreed to help with the pageant. Ianto always needed a few men to put the stable together and bring in bales of hay. He should be here in a few minutes to help with the costumes.
"Operation: Get a Date" had been revived.
"Can I help you with that?" a disembodied voice asked from the back of the sanctuary.
Ianto let out a strangled scream and spun around.
Jack Harkness stood in the aisle as if he'd conjured him up from his mind. Sunlight from the stained-glass window shone down on his shoulders, creating an aura around him like he was an earthbound angel. Shock made Ianto drop the box, and the corner struck his big toe. He cried out again as agony shot up from his damaged limb.
"Ow-ow-ow-ow," he said, hobbling over to a pew.
Jack rushed up the aisle toward him. "Ianto, are you all right?"
He couldn't answer. How could he form sentences when all the oxygen had left his body?
"Ianto?" He knelt in front of him and reached for his foot. "Did you hurt yourself?"
"I'm fine, except for always acting like an idiot whenever you show up." he jerked his foot back, unable to handle him touching him. "What are you doing here?"
He was supposed to be half way across the country, packing up his life. He sat back on his heels and gave him a mock salute. "I'm reporting for duty."
"Three weeks early?"
Jack's dimples flashed as his smile grew. "I was eager to get back and renew our clandestine relationship."
"Shh…" Ianto said, waving his hands in the air. "Don't say things like that out loud. Someone might hear you."
"No one is around."
Ianto glared at him. "You are the strangest minister I've ever known."
"How many have you known?" He arched a brow and gave him a speculative once over. "Do you make a habit of dancing with men of the clergy on deserted highways?"
Ianto stood and shoved past him, heading back to the storage closet. "You were the first, although I didn't know you were a minister because you lied about that."
The knowledge still stung. He couldn't get over the notion that perhaps he'd played him to get the job.
Jack followed behind him. "Stop."
"What?" Ianto turned to face him.
"I wasn't trying to trick you or take advantage for personal gain."
"Don't act like you know everything about me," Ianto snapped, rattled by the knowledge that he could read him so easily. "We had one forty-minute encounter, which wasn't based in reality."
Jack opened his mouth and then shut it again. "Right, of course. How could it have been real? We must have imagined—"
His voice trailed off.
Ianto leaned closer. "Imagined what?"
"Nothing." He shook his head. "Like you said, it was a combination of a deserted road and the music. Now, how can I help? I assume there are more boxes."
"In that closet." Ianto pointed to the open door, and he disappeared inside without another word.
He could at least argue with him. Sure, he'd been telling himself the same thing for the past week, but knowing he agreed still stung.
"You never did answer my question," Ianto said, as they began ferrying boxes to the sanctuary. "What are you doing here so early?"
Jack smiled, but the gesture didn't carry any of the humour he usually displayed. "Nowhere else to go, I guess."
"Christmas is in a couple weeks," Ianto said, in surprise. "Don't you have family to visit?"
He headed back to the closet. "Not really."
Ianto stared after him. His voice had gone completely flat, emotionless. So different from the teasing man he'd met on the road.
"Are your parents gone then?" he asked, when he caught up with him. "What about brothers and sisters? Cousins? Anyone?"
"They're still alive, but we're not close. Haven't been for several years."
He said the words as if they meant nothing. As if he felt nothing, but Ianto knew he must. How could he not? Ianto might complain about his family at times, but he loved them, and knew they loved him.
"What happened?" he asked, wanting to somehow understand the man who'd changed his life. Wanting to take away his pain. "Why are you alone during Christmas?"
"Remember when I told you I was trying to get a life, too?"
"Yes."
"Well, I—"
Whatever Jack had been about to say was forgotten as a swarm of loud voices erupted in the sanctuary.
"Hello? Anyone here?"
Ianto recognized Brianne's voice. "It's my sister."
"You go on out," he said. "I'll be right there."
Brianne and her brood were standing by the boxes.
"Sorry I'm late," Brianne cried. Then she grinned at Ianto. "Speaking of help, guess who I ran into outside?"
Brianne gestured over her shoulder and Ianto finally noticed someone else had entered the sanctuary. The man was rather non-descript. Not too tall, not too short, with an average build and hair that seemed to be a shade somewhere between blond and brown, like it hadn't been able to decide which colour it wanted to be. Goldilocks would have loved him.
"Hi, Ianto, right?" He smiled. "I'm John Henry."