Chapter 13
Authors note - thanks to everyone for reviewing, I love hearing what everyone thinks. This thing is getting up to novel level 80,000+ words. I think I'm about half way, but don't quote me on that. Lol.
Also I'm just working on the idea of a video contest, well the rules anyway, all I know so far is I want people to make video's to the songs Ianto sang in his set. They can be about any couple or member of the team and preferably should tell a little story, it doesn't have to be complex, could just be a sort of character development video. Here's the song list for anyone who wants to have a look, it'll give you time to familiarize yourselves with the songs and come up with a few ideas; the contest note will be posted in the next chapter.
Song List –
Handbags and Glad rags - Stereophonics
With the devil - Breaking Benjamin
Desperado - Journey South
Emotionless - Good Charlotte
Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
Savin Me - Nickleback
Sweet and Low - Augustance
Mercy - One republic
Please Remember Me - Tim McGraw
Love you out loud - Rascal Flatts
Life is a highway - Rascal Flatts
Bless the broken road - Rascal Flatts
Mad World - Gary Jules
Nothing else matter - Lee Mead
Feels like today - Rascal flatts
Bonus songs – Stand in the rain by superchick, roll to me by del amitri and Everyday by the rascal flatts. All can be found in torrentz so have fun.
Prize is a special one-shot fic of your choice, could be a little Owen/Jack/Ianto fic or a Gwen/Ianto friendship fic, a wing fic, you decide, just try not to make it too complex for me k? It'll just take me longer to write.
1 other thing, I am overwhelmed at the number of favorites and alerts this fic has. 43 faves currently, 120 alerts and over 19000 hits! That's such an ego boost ^_^ luv ya all. X
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The cog door rolled back and Tosh staggered under the laden bags which were slipping from her hands. Owen dashed over to help her before their meal ended up coating the floor and only being fit for the pterodactyl to eat.
"Gwen, you have Kung po chicken, Owen has Beef chow mein, Jack has pork balls, Ianto has the vegetarian sweet and sour and I have egg foo young." Tosh rattled off.
"Did you pay?" Ianto asked.
"Yeah, I don't know where you put the food money." She said laying everything out on the coffee table.
"I'll get you it later." Ianto told her, they all tended to put some cash in for take away after pay day so they had a fair split.
"That's alright, when you get round to its fine." She told him as she took out the chopsticks.
Ianto took the chopsticks she offered him and opened the tub with his meal in. He took small bites. Slowly working his way through the meal as the rest of the team talked loudly around him. He felt better with them doing that, nothing had really changed, except they were all watching him like four hens with only a single chick and while Jack made that feel nice he was chafing a little under their thinly veiled stares.
"So Gwen, how are the wedding plans going?" Tosh asked suddenly, almost suspiciously so, but whatever the reason Ianto was pleased that some of the attention had been diverted from him.
"It's going well. Got the venue, I've got my bridesmaids, Rhys has his best man, I just have to try divert his mother before she can take over, I swear that woman is more controlling than mine." Gwen said shoving a huge piece of chicken in her mouth.
"Well parents want you to have their dream wedding." Owen replied. He subtly kept an eye on Ianto to make sure he wouldn't get overwhelmed, but the younger man seemed to be doing fine for the moment. Outside may be different though, they'd have to see how he acted then.
"Just don't let her attempt to do the reception. Or your music will be 30 years out of date." Jack said.
"This from the man whose music collection is stuck in the 40's." Gwen retorted.
"But mine has a classic flare and a sense of grace. There is a difference between the 70's and 40's Gwen." He replied smirking. "Ask Ianto about good music, they seemed to enjoy it at the club."
"What did you sing Ianto?" Tosh asked interested.
"Well I opened with handbags and glad rags by the stereophonics, always a good way to gauge an audience. See if they need to be more drunk. Then I sang with the devil, by breaking Benjamin. Good for a warm up, followed up with Desperado by the eagles, then I moved on to emotionless by good charlotte." Ianto said before picking at his food and taking a few bites, chewing happily. "Then I went onto Chasing cars by snow patrol, it's usually a good idea to put a commonly know popular song in, then Savin me by Nickleback." Ianto paused chewing his meal slowly.
"Then there was that you said a friend gave you." Jack prompted.
"Yeah, sweet and low by Augustance, Chris used to have it as his phone ring tone. Then I played Mercy by one republic, which was something that Jonathan and Jenna played at their wedding. Must say she looked wonderful. Like a princess, they had a traditional church wedding, with the reception in a garden." Ianto said smiling slightly at the memory.
"Do you have their photos?" Gwen asked intrigued.
"Sure. Things their parents gave me or they left me. I got left quite a bit." Ianto told her.
"May I see them?" She asked her eyes shining, she loved wedding photo's.
"Sure, we can look at them after dinner if you want." Ianto offered.
"That would be nice." Gwen said.
"Can I see too?" Tosh asked.
"Sure if you want to see them your more than welcome." Ianto said smiling at their enthusiasm.
"Anyway, any more songs?" Owen asked.
"Yeah then I played please remember me by Tim McGraw." Ianto said.
"Which I loved by the way." Jack commented holding up his hand.
"I know you did." Ianto said looking at him as if asking him not to say it was dedicated to him.
"Yeah it was really nice. That and you're much better looking than Tim McGraw." Jack smiled.
"Yeah, thanks for that Jack." Ianto said relieved.
"Did you do a lot of songs?" Gwen asked.
"Yeah I did 15. About an hour's worth." Ianto said.
"And we're up to 9." Tosh said.
"Then it was that love you out loud." Jack said remembering the upbeat number vividly.
"Another rascal flats song, which was something we all used to enjoy listening to. So it felt appropriate to have those songs in my set." Ianto said nodding. "Then was another rascal flatts song, life is a highway."
"Which I think is when some people actually started dancing, seriously you looked nearly insulted." Jack laughed.
"Well I was there to sing, you can't really gauge reactions on a stage under those lights unless you see people enjoying themselves and seeing people dance is always a good indicator." Ianto replied indignantly.
Jack let out a small laugh, "I must admit I hadn't thought of that," he said as Tosh, Gwen and Owen also let out a small laugh at the thought of the cool, calm, collected archivist getting irritated because he'd been staring a lamp for an hour.
"Well we'll just have to get you doing it at least once, then you'll see what I mean." Ianto said crossing his arms over his chest and huffing slightly.
Owen just about fell out of his chair with laughter and if Ianto had been able to he'd probably have ended up flat on his back, or maybe he'd just be getting instant coffee for a day or so.
"I may be a so called attention seeker, but I think I'll pass." Jack said. "I don't think I could compete after all the rest of your songs were really emotional."
"Jack I sang bless the broken road, mad world, nothing else matters and feels like today, they are suppose to be emotional." Ianto replied.
"Most people will fake an emotion though and that kills a song quicker than a bum note, real emotions and perfect tuning turn a good night into a memorable one, I should have recorded it then these three could have watched and seen what I mean." Jack said waving his hand vaguely at the rest of the team.
"You know Jack; sometimes you are just so gay." Said Owen quite seriously.
"And sometimes Owen you are such a pompous arse." Jack replied with a smile.
"So you have any more that we could come to?" Tosh asked looking at Ianto and ignoring the other two men who were good naturedly teasing each other.
"Not yet, maybe in a few months, I'll let you know." He said honestly, he wasn't sure he wouldn't panic outside yet, after all the hub may be a large expanse of tunnels almost seeming endless, but it was intimate in here, you knew everyone and that was what made it easy for him to relax, he knew these people, trusted them with his life, outside was a completely different story.
Jack seemed to pick up on his line of thought and wrapped an arm round Ianto's shoulder, pulling him to lean against his firm chest as he continued to banter with Owen.
Ianto lay against him and closed his eyes wearily, his mind was running at 100 miles an hour and he couldn't keep up. He felt so tired as he closed his eyes, feeling safe and content against Jack's body that he allowed himself to let the darkness enclose him and he felt at peace for the moment.
Jack noticed the tension leave Ianto's body and looked at him, noticing the regular breathing and relaxed expression; he smiled warmly at him and kissed his forehead lightly.
"Is he really alright Jack?" Tosh asked quietly.
"It'll probably hit him later, he's a bit over loaded, just be patient." Jack said moving so that he could lay Ianto down with the younger man's head in his lap.
"His mind and body need to fully process what happened, he'll probably be a bit of a yoyo on an emotional front for a while, just let him have control and make sure he doesn't hurt himself and I think he'll get through it fine. But let him do things, don't just stand over his shoulder it only make people more anxious and it won't help, I don't think he's in a frame of mind to hurt himself but it's a precaution." Owen said deftly maneuvering his chopsticks in his meal. Taking a huge bite and chewing loudly which caused Gwen to wrinkle her nose.
"How can you be sure Owen?" Tosh asked quietly so as not to disturb the weary man who seemed rather intent in keeping his nose buried against Jacks neck.
"I don't. I'm just going on a few cases I've seen. Ianto doesn't strike me as the type, or at least I really hope he's not or we have to improve the psyche evaluations." Owen said looking at her with a professional air he didn't often show and Tosh felt she could believe his rather simple diagnosis.
"I'll be staying with him." Jack said simply.
"Good idea. Keep him feeling secure." Gwen said simply, she'd seen a couple of rapes on the force but had never really connected; it seemed like a different world when she'd first come across a case. But this was close; this was her friend and colleague. It suddenly made this part of her world that much more real.
Jack didn't comment just reached for his great coat which had ended up in a heap at one end of the couch when the food had arrived and Jack pulled it round Ianto and himself to keep them warm as he relaxed into the cushions and ran his fingers through Ianto's hair in a comforting manner. He felt the younger man smile against his neck and just enjoyed the light puffs of warm air hitting his neck.
"I keep forgetting how young he is." Gwen commented watching the affection which was almost visible as between the immortal and the Welshman.
"Yeah, so beyond his years, he's an old soul." Tosh said.
Jack didn't say anything but gave them a barely visible nod as he let himself relax back into the couch, Ianto was half on him and half on the couch and Jack didn't want to move. Ianto fit so well against his body that it was both comforting and familiar. Like Ianto belonged there, but he wasn't about to tell them that. Not yet at least.
"Either that or he just doesn't get laid enough and reads too much instead." Owen said finger raised as if he was pointing out something obvious.
"He's sleeping with Jack and doesn't get laid enough?" Gwen asked incredulously.
"Hey he starts half of it." Jack said in his own defense.
The rest of the team raised their eyebrows as if in disbelief. Jack gave in and gently shook Ianto's shoulder; he'd get a neck ache like that anyway. "Don't you Ianto?" He asked feeling the slight change in breath against his neck.
"Don't I what?" he muttered into Jack's collar eyes open in the barest of senses. Jack was almost certain the Welshman was glaring at him from beneath those lovely lashes.
"Start half of our sexual activities." Jack expanded waving a hand vaguely.
"Less than half." Ianto replied. "You sleep less; you're horny early in the morning so those are all you." Ianto replied seriously pushing himself up a little straighter.
"Aww we'll have to change that." Jack replied with a lewd grin.
"Sure Jack, whatever you say, it's hardly spontaneous if you expect it now is it?"
"But it's still fun."
"Yeah, no disagreement there. But spontaneity is the difference between great sex and amazing 'my bones have melted and my brain is slipping out of my ears' sex."
"What about the hot Welshman I have in my bed? Does that make a difference?"
"Of course it does, it means you haven't driven me insane with your strange idioms." Ianto said standing a bit stiffly and stretching tentatively. Before collecting their used plates and the empty containers, he was surprised when Jack took half of them from him and just went towards the kitchenette without a word.
Ianto just shrugged and the rest of the team watched him join Jack, their dirty crockery in his hands. Ianto put the plates on the counter and reached for the marigolds to begin washing up so they didn't eventually become lost and starve to death under a mound of dirty cutlery, which knowing the rift would probably procreate and multiply and become a small army before one of the others even dared come in here.
Jack silently moved aside to let Ianto clean while he stuffed the used boxes and take out containers into the bin, which wasn't overflowing for a change, Ianto scrubbed off the dirt and laid everything on the draining board, he'd put it away later.
He had barely finished when Jack stepped up behind him, arms looping round his waist and head on his shoulder nuzzling his neck lightly. "Come on cariad let's go flip through photo albums with the team before they think we're doing something x rated in here." Ianto laughed gently pulling off the gloves and throwing them onto the counter.
"Well we could, but I'm interested now too, I wanna see what your friends were like." Jack said with a smile, not letting go of Ianto as they walked easily back to the rest of the team.
"So who wants to look at photos?" Ianto asked leaning back slightly into Jack, under the circumstances he couldn't care less about keeping their relationships separate.
"I do." Gwen said happily looking like an excitable child at Christmas, obviously eager to see the wedding photo's Ianto had promised to show her.
"I may be able to find their wedding DVD as well." Ianto offered and Gwen let out a squeal of excitement. Tosh was nodding calmly, although you could tell she was intrigued by the prospect of seeing Ianto's old friends.
"Come on then, we can use the conference room, more space to spread out." Jack said turning both himself and Ianto towards the space and the rest of the team trailing behind. Although he was certain Owen was only coming along so he wouldn't get stuck with paperwork.
"You need to let go Jack, I can't walk properly." Ianto protested gently, he didn't want Jack to let go, but he wouldn't be able to get up and down the stairs if he didn't, he was not in the mood to take a header down the metal thank you very much, it'd probably be like a cheese grater to whatever parts of his body slid across it. That was something he really didn't want to have to cope with.
Jack reluctantly let the other man out of his grip but kept very close behind him and Ianto was almost certain he was going to be back in the fold of Jack's body as soon as they were in the conference room.
He was proven right, as soon as they got through the door Jack wrapped himself round Ianto, a bit like an octopus, Ianto was sure that Jack hadn't magically gained extra hands, but it sure felt like it right now.
"So where are these photos?" Gwen asked impatiently.
Ianto moved to the boxes, still strewn across the table, it was a little difficult since Jack didn't seem to want to relinquish his hold, Ianto could almost taste the amusement he was feeling as Ianto attempted to walk without tripping over his own, or Jack's feet.
"Here we are, Jonathan and Jenna Sullivan." Ianto said pulling out a large album, it wasn't really decorative, it just had 'wedding' written on the front in loopy red letters.
He gestured them closer and opened the front page, the first picture was of a very pretty woman with light curled chestnut hair swept up at one side and falling elegantly over one shoulder. Large grey eyes an enormous smile and a beautiful bouquet of red and white flowers.
"That's Jenna. The lovely blushing bride, well not really blushing I think she used more innuendo's than Jack does, but we loved her, she was gutsy and inappropriate which made her and Jonathan an even stranger couple." Ianto said smiling at the picture and lightly tracing her smile.
He flipped the page, there was a very studious looking man, dark hair neatly styled, brown eyes the colour of hot chocolate seen behind thinly framed specs and a nice smile on his handsome face, a lovely suit of light grey over a light blue shirt with a dark blue tie.
"That's Jonathan, always the last one to start drinking and the first to get drunk; he had no tolerance so when he got like that he was just as inappropriate as his wife. But he was a thorough person, always triple checked everything from expense reports to seating arrangements. He and I got along like a house on fire." Ianto said leaning back into Jacks arms.
Next in the book was a large picture which included Ianto, looking very dashing in a black suit with a red shirt and darker red tie.
"There's Scott and Will." He pointed to two men with their arms around each other, one looked like a Billy Idol wannabe and the other looked reminiscent of Orlando Bloom in pirates of the Caribbean. "They would fight all the time, but Scott always told me that the day they stop fighting he'd know it was over. That's Cassie and Henry." They recognized the cheery blonde dressed to the nines in a beautiful aqua dress, her hair elegantly styled and a small bouquet of white flowers in her hands. The man next to her was wearing a simple suit with a green shirt and tie, his light brown hair looking like he'd just rolled out of bed. "Then we have Robyn, Lila, Jonathan, Jenna." Robyn was a pretty red head with dark blue eyes and a pretty blue dress which hung off one shoulder, Lila had blonde streaked hair and was wearing a darker blue dress with simple lines and shoulder straps. "Then it's Me and Lisa." Ianto was decked out in a lovely suit, jet black with a dark blue shirt and light blue tie. Lisa with an arm wrapped round his waist, and he one round hers, was cutting a lovely figure in a light blue strapless dress.
"To be honest they couldn't agree on colours so we sort of went with blues and greens. That is the one thing that I know bothered Jenna, she wanted red and Jonathan wanted blue, and the really hated purple so we couldn't even suggest that." Ianto said flipping through the book, showing the beautiful church and the family and other guests.
The reception looked wonderful, mixes of blues and reds spread over the tables, large flower arrangements and pretty little jeweled chandeliers. "I really wish I hadn't let them talk me into singing though, I think I had too much to drink, but apparently it was better than some two bit dj." Ianto said as a photo of him, sans jacket came to their attention, Will and Scott were stood off to the side and it looked like they were back up.
"Please tell me you have that on video." Jack pleaded laughing slightly, thinking Ianto looked hot, slightly sweaty and illuminated by the large coloured lights.
"Unfortunately." Ianto replied pulling out the DVD, he had barely cleared the box before the disk was snatched from between his fingers by an over excited Tosh who slotted it into her laptop and connected it to the projector.
She quickly flicked through the wedding, stopping to watch the vows before flipping to Ianto.
"So for those of you I haven't met, I'm Ianto, Jon's best man and since I really don't want to give a speech they are torturing you with my singing, so enjoy."
The music strummed up in the background and the conference room went silent.
"Look around your world pretty baby
Is it everything you hoped itd be
The wrong guy, the wrong situation
The right time to roll to me
Look into your heart pretty baby,
Is it aching with some nameless need.
Is there something wrong and you can't put your finger on it
Right then, roll to me
and I don't think I have ever seen a soul so in despair
so if you want to talk the night through
Guess who will be there?
So don't try to deny it pretty baby,
You've been down so long you can hardly see
When the engines stalled and it won't stop raining
Its the right time to roll to me
Look around your world pretty baby
Is it everything you hoped itd be
The wrong guy, the wrong situation
The right time to roll to me."
Ianto waved off the applause in the video and quickly started speaking again. "I'm going to do one more then I am having a glass of wine and getting my turn to dance with the lovely bride, so you two get up here and dance." Ianto said to the couple who took to the floor.
"You could've bowed out gracefully
But you didn't
You knew enough to know
To leave well enough alone
But you wouldn't
I drive myself crazy
Tryin' to stay out of my own way
The messes that I make
But my secrets are so safe
The only one who gets me
Yeah, you get me
It's amazing to me
How every day
Every day, every day
You save my life
I come around all broken down and
Crowded out
And you're comfort
Sometimes the place I go
Is so deep and dark and desperate
I don't know, I don't know
How every day
Every day, every day
You save my life
Sometimes I swear, I don't know if
I'm comin' or goin'
But you always say something
Without even knowin'
That I'm hangin' on to your words
With all of my might and it's alright
Yeah, I'm alright for one more night-
Every day
Every day, every day, every day
Every day, every day
You save me, you save me, oh, oh, oh
Every day
Every, every, every day-
Every day you save my life."
The team watched Ianto on the video get positively mobbed by his friends and felt a swell of regret for him, such a wonderful group of people, taken far too soon.
"So want to sing at my wedding?" Gwen asked with a sly smile.
"Your paying me per song I warn you now." Ianto said seriously and the team laughed.
"Let me talk it over with Rhys but it'd be fun, please." Gwen said eyes wide.
"If he says so I can do a couple." Ianto said with a shy smile.
Jack smiled those demons were settled now they just had to get past the new ones.
TBC
a.n. so thanks for the read, hope you enjoyed it. Please review. Oh and I had no beta so all mistakes are mine. Thanks all, new chapter will be out soon ^_^