A/N: so, I'm trying to wrap up my unfinished fics … it's a little slow going.
I'm not sure how much more there is to this story... maybe a chapter or two. I appreciate your patience, especially with these couple of stories that have been in limbo for a while.

And…
THANK YOU AGAIN for all the fantastic reviews!

Chapter Ten

Night Caps

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"Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of joy you must have somebody to divide it with."
- Mark Twain

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"Dinner's on me," Jack announced when the waitress dropped off their bill.

Ianto groaned. "You mean it's on us," by which he meant Torchwood, not their joint account. Truthfully, though, he was just happy to have gotten through dinner without being interrupted by invading Raxacoricofallapatorians (although Jack insisted that they weren't all like the one who had taken over Cardiff City Hall a few years back) or without the good Captain sending Sara's almost-but-not-quite-boyfriend fleeing in terror. The night was still young, however. Jack might still frighten Gil into running away. Then again, he is one of the more impassive individuals the Welshman had ever met. He'd never seen anyone sit through an evening of Jack's stories without flinching at least once. Admittedly when intentionally refraining from tales that included alien encounters, Jack's material was a bit limited, but still, he was Jack.

As for the matter of the expense reports, the older man merely shrugged. "I'm sure you'll come up with some way to write it off when you get the expense report. Creativity seems to be your speciality," he added with a smirk.

"And on that note," Ianto rose to his feet, "we should probably call it a night." He gave his partner a look that clearly said the decision was final. Jack didn't appear as if he wanted to aruge.

"I hope next time you'll let me pick up the check," Gil offered as he got to his feet as well, helping Sara with her chair.

"It's a date," the Captain agreed with wink, raising his brows suggestively. Then he turned to his partner. "You want to get the car while I settle up in here?" he asked, pulling keys out of his pocket.

Ianto nodded. He couldn't help the feeling of warmth that overtook him when, instead of just handing over the keys, Jack wrapped his hand around his and pulled him in for a quick kiss before he made his exit. The younger man never would have expected public displays of affection to mean so much to him, but they did. He knew it was Jack's way of reassuring him that he meant it when he said he loved him, his way of confirming that even if he didn't want to 'preclude any possibilities threesomes…foursomes…sextets (Jack's favourite number)', his husband wasn't actually looking for anything outside their partnership.

"Just you remember that promise you made me before we left," he all but growled into his ear as he let the younger man go.

He blinked in surprise. "What promise?"

"You know exactly the one." He gave him a look.

"I didn't…"

"You didn't have to say it," he smirked, his gaze flickering quickly to Ianto's tie, his meaning quite clear.

As stoically as he knew how, he made his exit. He wondered how Gilbert Grisson would feel about Raxacoricofallapatorians…

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Gil watched with interest as the young Welshman slid out of the passenger seat; before he vacated the SUV, surrendering driving duties to Jack, he adjusted the seat and mirrors for the Captain. His adjustments seemed as if they were accurate, Jack didn't touch either the mirror or seat position after he got in. He had noticed, too, the way he opened doors for him, although Jack politely stood back for Sara to enter first, and then him, before striding through himself, leaving his partner to bring up the rear. Gil noticed the way Ianto made sure the waitress, who was apparently new, got him the right Scotch.

And how Jack made sure Ianto liked the wine he picked out. How the Captain ordered for both of them. He doubted anyone could miss the satisfied, almost smug little smile the young Welsman wore when he did it, too.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do, kids," Jack teased as he dropped Gil and Sara off at the curb just outside her place.

"There isn't anything you wouldn't do, Cariad," said his partner in a deadpan tone. Then, "Good night Sara. Gil. It was a pleasure meeting you." He extended his hand out the window.

"It was nice to meet you too," he echoed with a genuine smile, accepting the young man's hand. "I hope to see you both again, soon," he added. He didn't consider himself to be much of an expert when it came to social situations, but the evening seemed to have gone well. Sara was smiling. It seemed to him as if she was smiling more than he remembered her smiling in a long, long time.

"See you guys in the morning," Sara leant in and kissed Ianto's cheek.

"Sure you don't want to come over for a quick game of naked hide and seek?" Jack offered. Again.

"Jack," Ianto drew his name out into two full syllables.

The older man gave a shrug and an innocent look that wouldn't have fooled anyone, even someone who had just met him, and eased the SUV away from the curb.

Sara cast a sidelong glance in her date's direction. "Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee? It's not as good as Ianto's…but you won't have to put up with Jack, either," her smile turned a little shy. "I hope it didn't bother you too much," she added in an equally soft voice.

"Is he like that all the time?" he asked, instead of answering her question about coming up for coffee… or her inquiry about whether or not he was put off by her boss.

"Oh. No," she slid her arm into his anyway, guiding him up to her front porch. "Tonight he was on the best behavior I've ever seen."

Gil blinked and felt a measure of the colour drain from his cheeks, although he didn't mean for it to. Maybe he needed to find out a little bit more about this Torchwood after all…

"So, Sara, what are the rest of your coworkers like?" he inquired in the most neutral tone he could muster.