"Ianto Jones, always take a banana to a party," a familiar voice told him and Jack covered his mouth with his hand as a banana appeared between him and Ianto. "Hello, Jack."

"Doctor," he gestured to the free chair across from them and the Doctor went the long way around to reach it. When he sat down again, Jack had controlled the urge to laugh at Ianto's perplexed study of the banana and was prepared to do the introductions. "Ianto, this is the Doctor. Doctor, this is, yes I know you already know, stop it," he cut the Doctor off as soon as he opened his mouth. "This is my fiance, Ianto Jones."

The Doctor reached across the table to shake Ianto's hand. "Ianto Jones, it's an honour to meet you, it really is."

"And you, sir," Ianto had to lean forwards to reach the Doctor's hand, and when he settled back against the seat Jack had wound his arm around around his waist where it settled comfortably. Ianto sighed and turned slightly so that he could lean back on Jack and smiled with as much warmth as he could muster. "To what do we owe the honour of your company?"

"Oh you know," the Doctor grabbed a grape off the platter and waved it around. "I get invited to these things every year. Usually turn up for a bit of it at least," he marked the end of the statement by popping the grape into his mouth and reaching for the cheeseboard.

"Do you mean for one of the dinners?" Jack asked. "How long have you been here?"

"About an hour, and yes I usually make it for dinner. It's not intentional though," he protested even as Ianto snorted. "I never really mean to come, she just brings me here."

"She's probably just trying to make sure you get a proper meal once in a while," Jack suggested, watching the Doctor's cheese and crackers pile growing. "This'll be why she goes to markets so often."

"Yeah... she took me to the market on Hiljy the other day," he pondered the cheese stack and took a bite that made it crumble. "Oh... Where was I? Oh yes, Hiljy. Fantastic market, the big one in the capital city of... what's it called, Jack?"

"I have no idea, never been."

"Oh, never mind. Well I got followed home by a cat, they do that cats do. Very intelligent animals, even before they get to the stage where they can run planets and commit atrocities in the name of science. You could come with me," he suggested, dropping it casually into the conversation. "Then you'd know where I meant. Just a short trip."

"Doctor..." Jack felt Ianto tense against him and held him tighter. "I don't..."

"I mean both of you," as if stating the obvious. "I could have you back here so soon no one noticed you'd been gone."

"Thank you, Doctor," Ianto said before Jack could. "But we have our duties here. Maybe one day when we can stay longer if we want to."

"We'd know, Doctor," Jack told him gently. "We can't afford to up and leave, there's too much going on in our heads. One day..."

"One day, I'll come back for you both," he agreed and leaned back. "So, anyway, what am I sticking around for?"

"Well, you can hear the Torchwood annual reports tomorrow," Jack offered. "Which will, of course, be riveting."

"That sounds interesting," the Doctor protested. "I think... I should give you a chance, Jack. I should see what Torchwood's really like."

Jack swallowed and nodded. "Thank you, then. Were they expecting you?"

"Oh, they always expect me at some point, you know how it is," he leaned back. "They were prepared for the unlikely eventuality of my actually turning up."

Jack laughed and looked up as one of the UNIT commanders appeared behind the Doctor. "Commander Mace," he stood and offered his hand. "Good to see you again."

"Captain, and Mr Jones," he gave them a stiff nod. "Congratulations."

"And to you, Alan," Jack smiled. "Is Marian joining us?"

"Marian, oh, Captain Price?" The Doctor looked delighted. "Are you and Captain Price..."

"Yes, Doctor, we are," Mace nodded stiffly and gestured to the head table. "Doctor, if you could join us? There are matters we need to discuss whilst you're..."

"Not wandering across the universe," Jack smiled. "It was nice to see you, Doctor. I hope you'll be around tomorrow?"

"That is certainly my intention," he agreed. "Jack, Ianto, I'll see you later."

Ianto sagged against Jack again as Mace and the Doctor made their way across the room again and laughed, his shoulders shaking against Jack's chest. "Wow, he's as mad as you make out."

Jack pulled him in further and watched the Doctor's progress. "Yeah, I guess he is. He's allowed to be a bit mad, though... Want to make an escape?"

"Yeah," Ianto agreed. "Bedroom?"

Jack nodded and got up, then followed Ianto out of the grand dining hall. They called out greetings to people as they passed, then headed up the huge staircase to their corridor, past Tybalt asleep on a window ledge halfway up the stairs. Ianto kicked his shoes off and dumped his jacket on a chair when they got into the room, then flopped onto the bed and watched Jack with one eye. Once he'd tidied up Ianto's jacket and shoes and shed his own shirt and boots, Jack crawled up the bed and settled next to him, trailing his fingers through the hair at the nape of Ianto's neck. "Tired?"

"Fed up of UNIT," Ianto grunted. "Parading their successes constantly as if it's news, and then gathering us all togetehr at the end of the year to say it again, all angling for promotion without any real idea of what they're being promoted for, other than promotion. Thank God that's over with, they're such sycophants."

He laughed and slid down the bed to lie next to Ianto, propped up on his side he rubbed the heel of his hand across Ianto's shoulders firmly. "They get to listen to us tomorrow, and we get to tell them what a brilliant disaster we are. They'll hate it, we're loose and chaotic and they'll be sitting there bristling at us," he dug his thumb into the gap between Ianto's shoulder blades and rocked it, eliciting a loud moan. "You're tense, babe."

Ianto tensed further and turned his head to look up at Jack. "Don't call me babe."

"Sorry," Jack smiled and bent to kiss the curve of Ianto's shoulder, the cotton shirt soft against his lips. "You want me to carry on?"

"God," Ianto arched up into Jack's hands and rolled his shoulders. "Yes please."

Jack chuckled and sat up so that he could reach Ianto's shoulders better. He started at the back of his neck and worked down, strong hands and fingers finding and loosening tense muscles and joints whilst Ianto puddled beneath him. His hands paused on Ianto's waist, then he untucked his shirt and slid his hands up underneath to rest on bare skin, squeezing lightly and digging his fingers into the soft, yielding flesh. Ianto squirmed away from it and grunted, apparently incapable of anything more. "Sorry, cold hands?"

"A little."

"Want me to keep going?"

"If you don't give me a foot massage," Ianto turned his head to look back at him. "You can swap beds with Tybalt tonight..."

Jack laughed and slid his hands down and out from under Ianto's shirt, brushed his fingers lightly over the curve of his arse, then dug his fingers into the firm muscles of his thigh. "How are you feeling?"

"Where are we? What are we doing here? Why am I talking?" He sighed. "Why are you talking? If you keep doing that..." he yawned, "I'm going to fall asleep."

"That's not a great incentive for me to carry on, now, is it?" he asked with a laugh, working his way down to Ianto's calf. "Go to sleep, then we can have morning sex."

"But morning sex comes complete with morning breath," Ianto grumbled and tugged on his leg. "Come up here, Captain Harkness, and make wild, passionate love to me."

Jack had followed the tug and rolled Ianto over, but he leaned over him and held him down with a hand in the middle of his chest. "You'll fall asleep on me."

Ianto smiled up at him softly and lifted Jack's hand off his chest, then sat up to start undressing. "Yeah, I probably will," he chucked his shirt onto one of the chairs and slid his belt out of the loops with a smooth hiss. "Come to bed, Jack?"

Jack raised an eyebrow as the belt slithered off the bed to land on the floor with a clunk. "We're in bed..."

"I meant with me," Ianto sighed and reached out to tug Jack's T shirt up, then tugged at his belt. "You know what I mean."

"I know," Jack helped Ianto with the belt and dropped it to join Ianto's on the floor, then unfastened his trousers and squirmed out of them whilst Ianto did the same with his. He slid forwards and leaned over Ianto again, sliding one hand up his chest and then using it to tip his head into a better angle to kiss him. Ianto's lips parted instantly, soft and warm against Jack's, and his hand drifted up to tangle in Jack's hair and cradle the back of his head. He was warm and solid, and Jack settled into his arms, draping one arm across Ianto's chest and holding him close, digging his fingers in lightly and dragging them down. "You're warm," he commented against Ianto's mouth.

"So are you," Ianto's hand raked up through his hair and his lips trailed away down Jack's chin. "In fact, you're hot."

"And you're very tired."

"Whose fault is that?" Ianto asked, breath hot against Jack's cheek. "Yours, I seem to recall."

"Are you complaining?" he laughed into Ianto's neck.

"No," Ianto grinned and nipped at his collarbone. "The next words were 'do it again'."

Jack complied.