V.
Ianto shut the door to the SUV and watched Jack drive away. They had agreed—with much stuttering discomfort—that their initial arrangement from not fifteen minutes earlier had been ill-advised. Ianto had apologized for kissing his boss, Jack had assured him it was nothing to worry about as it had been a good kiss, and they had nervously laughed it off as a heat-of-the-moment thing that was definitely over and going nowhere.
Only now that Jack was gone, Ianto wished he'd stuck to it. He felt more tired and alone than ever, and he knew, deep down, that physical comfort was what he needed, what he craved. And yes, he wanted it with Jack. For as much as he sometimes hated his captain, he was equally as fascinated. Jack was gorgeous, except when he was cruel and angry. He was brilliant, when he wasn't blind to what was really going on around him. And he could be caring and compassionate, when he wasn't distant and cold-hearted.
Ianto wasn't looking for anything more than one night with his enigmatic coworker, and now on top of everything else that had gone wrong, he'd lost that chance. He turned away from the street and dragged himself to his flat, stopping halfway there as he considered finding a new local pub to drown his sorrows in. He needed a break from troubled barmaids, however, and decided he had plenty of liquor of his own should he need it. Which he certainly did.
From sympathy with a grieving Tosh, to anger at Jack for arriving at the pub, to the heartbreaking phone call with his mother, Ianto felt like his emotions had been through too much that day, and he needed to turn them off. He kicked away his shoes and threw his suitcoat on a chair as he made straight for the kitchen. His refrigerator was practically empty, but he found crisps and pretzels in a cabinet and threw them in a bowl. Then he poured himself a double whiskey and headed back to the living room, where he intended to crash on the sofa, possibly until morning.
He jumped and almost dropped his glass when someone knocked furiously on his door. Setting everything down, he hurried over, peering through the peephole to see who was interrupting him so late at night. It was Jack, raising his hand to pound on the door once more. Ianto wasn't sure if he was furious or thrilled.
He pulled the door open before Jack had a chance to make any more noise. "Can I help you, sir?" he asked dryly. Jack stared at him before stepping forward and kissing him hard, lips and tongue clashing hungrily with Ianto's own. Though his impulse was to step back and push Jack away, Ianto checked it immediately, kissing him back with equal fervor, drawing a delicious moan from Jack as they practically grappled in the doorway. When it occurred to him that they were in public, Ianto grabbed Jack's coat and pulled him inside, slamming the door shut behind him.
"What the hell was that for?" he gasped. Jack looked both wary and stubborn.
"I didn't change my mind," he said, also breathing heavy. "I left because I thought it was what you wanted."
"It's not what I want," Ianto replied, almost challengingly. "But it seemed the right thing to do."
"We don't always have to do what's right," Jack said, stepping closer. Ianto closed the distance between them.
"I'm tired of doing what's right," Ianto said, pushing Jack's great coat from his shoulders and letting it fall to the floor in a puddle. He ran his hands up and down Jack's braces and pulled him close. "Stay," he murmured against Jack's lips. Jack kissed him fiercely, until they were both breathing hard once more.
"Just this once," he murmured as Ianto worked on the buttons of his shirt.
"One night only," Ianto agreed. "But not in the hallway." He turned and pulled Jack with him toward the bedroom. As soon as they crossed the threshold, they locked lips once more, struggling with more ties and braces, belts and zips until they tumbled to the bed naked.
Ianto marveled at how easy it was to be there, right in that moment, kissing Jack and reveling in the sensation. He didn't feel awkward or uncomfortable, he didn't feel anger or hatred. He felt only a deep connection with another lonely soul, two men broken by the universe seeking comfort in each other's body.
If a part of him longed for a more permanent connection with someone like Jack, he pushed it down and buried it. He would lose himself with Jack just this once, and in the morning, he would go back to his living his life, alive and free, but cold and alone.
Author's Note:
Maybe a bit cliché, the barging in bit, but I wanted to go there as a possibility. Hope you've enjoyed these so far – let a girl know? Thanks for reading!