Disclaimer: Don't own it, whatever it is (Torchwood, etc.)
Wow, this fic almost started writing itself down. The problem was up until the wedding... which is two chapters away... Also, this chapter and the next one were written, by yours truly, as a whole, but for to consistency's sake, I split them... hopefully, I did so correctly. Let me know, alright? Second part could be posted on Sunday, it the planets align correctly ^^
May you enjoy your reading...
Although he had been called out at ten o'clock, Jack found himself anxious by eight-thirty, when Gwen had finished picking an outfit for him, and downright restless at nine, when Owen had almost thrown him out the door (or what had remained of it), claiming that the team of repairmen bound to arrive and Gwen's shouts into her mobile were already too much for him to bear.
So Jack found himself unconsciously strolling towards Roald Dahl Plass and soon made his way through the cobweb of narrow streets behind it, arriving at the charming building made of red brick with half an hour to spare. With a sigh, he turned around on his heels, ready to try and keep himself away for thirty more minutes, when a yell stopped him from advancing further down the street. Glancing back, he saw a familiar dark-haired woman waving at him from around the corner. Smiling, he walked up to her, aware that in order to reach her he had to pass the front of the tailor shop. His heartbeat rate suddenly jumped of the chart.
"Good morning, Miss Jones."
"Actually, it's Mrs. Davies, but since everyone calls me Rhiannon, I can't help but be puzzled by you not complying with this local habit." She smirked, actually smirked and Jack silently admonished himself for not having noticed since the beginning that she was indeed Ianto's sister. They might not resemble each other physically, but that wit was definitely a Jones dominant gene.
"Alright, Rhiannon. But only if you call me Jack." He answered dutifully and promptly found himself dragged to her small café and pushed into a chair. As usual, it was an almost full house and the nice blonde-haired man was bustling about with trays and coffee cups.
"So, I heard my brother got you out of jail yesterday. That was definitely a first." She mused aloud after placing a glass of orange juice in front of him and sitting down. Jack glanced at the drink with a puzzled look but complied with her choice.
"Yeah, I had a fight with my best friend yesterday." He lowered his shoulders, the blue coat suddenly appearing too large for him.
"Oh, you don't need to explain anything. I heard all the juicy details from Rhys." She spoke excitedly.
"The DCI?"
"Yep. Went to school and high school with him. We've been best mates since I can remember."
"Really?" Jack couldn't help but smile, as he found himself completely not surprised by this new bit of information. It just made sense that these lovely, high-spirited people full of energy would get together. You could tell that they were one big family, with their problems and disasters and victories. He hadn't seen a family in such a long time, and yet, he knew he was falling in love with this one.
"Yeah… and after what I heard last night, there are some things I need to clear out with you. First of all, I need to fulfil my sisterly duties and warn you that if you hurt my baby brother, I'll neuter you… most painfully." Jack gulped audibly and he watched Rhiannon's eyes turn evil and then clear again, in a matter of seconds. "He's been through too much for his age and I really don't want to see him turn again into the wreck he was when he came back from London. I tell you, if it hadn't been for the children and Tosh, I think he would have done something irreversible. But, for the past year, he's been doing fine, going out in the world again… so I think you can understand that if I see a downturn and I find out you had something to do with it, I will subject you to something irreversible."
"Noted." Jack managed to croak.
"Good!" she exclaimed and smiled brightly. "Now to the second bit. Who is the young woman who accompanied you and your mate yesterday? Rhys only told me that she was Welsh, had just arrived in town and it was already her second time in jail, in two days."
"Oh, umm, that's my sort of boss, Gwen Cooper. Yes, she is Welsh, surprisingly violent as of late and yes, yesterday was her second time in prison ever since setting foot in Wales, on Wednesday." Jack answered with a perplexed smile.
"Is she a nice person?"
"Huh?"
"Because, I was thinking... Rhys is single… has been so for too many years now and I know that he fancies her, no matter how much he tries to deny it. I knew he fancied Clarissa James in the fifth grade and I know he fancies your Miss Cooper. So, is she dating anyone?"
"Rhia." A third presence suddenly materialised next to their table and both of them looked up. Ianto Jones stood tall, dressed as tastefully as always, a strange gleam in his lovely blue eyes.
"Ianto." Jack smiled like an idiot and sat up, as well. His first impulse had been to wrap himself around the Welshman with a viselike grip, but he knew that his attentions might not be welcomed, so he held himself away from the suit-clad body.
"Jack." He turned sideways and gazed into his eyes.
"Alright already. I can tell I'm not wanted. But Jack, remember that you still owe information." She declared and disappeared in the café's hidden kitchen.
"Your suit's out and Tosh is waiting upstairs with her coffee selections. This way if you please." Ianto guided him out of the coffee shop and through the connecting hallways and curtains, until they reached familiar territory. "I must admit I was a little concerned when you failed to show up." He pointed at a grandfather clock reading ten past ten. "I'm sorry I couldn't come save you from my sister's clutches sooner, but I was busy with a fussy customer. Hope she didn't torture you too much."
"Nothing I'm not used to, don't worry. I was sort of expecting it anyway… Hm, but what I wasn't expecting was her asking me about Gwen. Apparently DCI Williams is interested." He wiggled his eyebrows. Ianto just snorted and nudged him into the dressing room.
"Don't mind her. Ever since settling down and having kids she's been trying to set everyone up. She even tried to get me and Tosh together when we first arrived from London. Don't get me wrong, I love Tosh, but I don't think I'd manage or enjoy a proper relationship with her. Besides, she's my best friend… I just can't look at her that way." He explained and repressed a shrug.
"I know what you mean. So, the cabin, as usual?" Ianto just nodded and Jack made himself scarce, disappearing behind one of the heavy curtains. When he returned, dressed in the immaculate best man suit, he found himself alone. Quietly, he walked around the room and stepped up on the stool, admiring his image in the numerous mirrors and what Ianto's exquisite stitches did for his figure. A sudden whistle brought him out of his thoughts with a start. Turning around, he met the sight of a casually dressed Toshiko. "I'll take that as a compliment." He bestowed upon her a wink and a smile.
"You look amazing, even with the blackened eyes and the split lip. But could that be thanks to you or Ianto's sewing?" she teased him and laughed at his pout. "Alright, alright! Don't get all upset now. It's not my fault you almost look like a model, whenever you don't look like you've just escaped from a pub brawl, that is. Not to mention that Ianto is too bloody good at his job." She pouted right back at him.
"Toshiko Sato! Always a pleasure to see you." He got down and gave her a hug.
"This is the second time you've seen me in your entire life."
"Yeah, but I'm foreseeing a lot of such meetings in the future, so I'm getting practice."
"You really like him, don't you?" she asked after a long moment of silence. "That's good."
"You're not already planning to neuter me too, are you?" Jack let out a whine, making her burst out in loud laughter.
"Let me guess, Rhia?"
"Who else?"
"You should be honoured. I think you're the first person to ever be thusly threatened. But don't worry, if she's gone so far, it means that she has a good feeling about you two." She explained once she managed to master her giggles.
"Can I tell you something?" he leaned towards her and spoke in a low voice.
"What?" she whispered back.
"So do I." he solemnly nodded and squeezed her hands.
"What are you two conspiring about?" Ianto's entrance was only betrayed by a faint rustle.
"Actually we were wondering when we could adjourn upstairs for the coffee tasting you promised us." Tosh almost hopped her way to the young tailor and it was barely then that Jack noticed her fluffy bunny slippers. He made a mental note to ask about them later on, but did not comment on the matter.
"Let me check the suit and make sure it's finished first."
"Oh, it's finished alright." Jack took his queue and jumped right back on the stool, taking different poses, as if he was a model during a photo shoot. "I can't remember the last time I wore clothes that made me look this good."
"You always look good." Ianto unconsciously replied while checking every centimetre of thread. Near the entrance, Tosh fell right back into her fit of giggles, while the American froze and mechanically turned towards the tailor, blue eyes widened in shock. Ianto suddenly stopped too, sighed and shut his eyes tightly. "I said that out loud, didn't I?"
"Mr. Jones, I do believe that was flirting." Jack's face broke into a huge Cheshire cat-like grin, while Tosh was on the brink of a heart-attack.
"Well, don't look so surprised! You could probably make a dead man flirt." He grumbled.
"Probably… never tried though. Even I have my limits."
"Right. Moving on, this looks done." The young man spoke and stepped away from the stool, once more giving his customer enough space to check himself in the mirrors. "Are you alright with it?"
"Beyond that! You do lovely work, Mr. Jones."
"Thank you; now, if you change out of the suit, I'll have Annie iron and pack it for you, while we adjourn upstairs."
"Are you sure you have time? It is the middle of the day, after all…"
"Don't worry, I cleared my schedule until two o'clock."
Jack nodded and disappeared, only to return one minute later, hand in the suit and eagerly follow the two friends through a separate corridor, which led to a stairway placed somewhere at the back of the two shops. They climbed the perfectly rebuilt wooden stairs that didn't even let out a single creak, up to the first floor.
"Where do you think you're going, Mister?" The moment Ianto unlocked his door, a furry black silhouette attempted to escape along the hallway wall before being intercepted by Tosh's hands. "Bluff, I do think you're getting fatter by the minute." She grunted under the devil's weight. "Ianto, what are you feeding him?" she entered the flat and walked around the open space that combined a living room, a dining room and a part of the kitchen. She plopped herself on a large, very comfortable-looking reddish-brown sofa. Taking this as an invitation, Jack sat in one of the three matching armchairs, placed in various positions around the coffee table in the middle of the room, and watched the woman play with the black devil.
"Nuclear bombs." Ianto deadpanned and stepped into the kitchen. Immediately, familiar sounds followed suit.
"Shouldn't we help him?" Jack raised his head and peered towards the origin of the noise.
"While he's making coffee? Never. Trespass his territory and he might kill you. Especially if you misplace something, which always happens. Even Rhia doesn't dare step further than the fridge." She joked, while tickling Bluff, who apparently adored this type of "abuse". "Still, he accepts help while cooking… he's even quite grateful for it. But never while making coffee."
"Thanks for the tip."
"Good morning and welcome to Ianto's humble abode." The young tailor swiftly moved about the room, neatly placing a plateau of biscuits, cookies and every other sugary treats known to man, on the coffee table between the armchairs and sofa. "Today's choices will be hazelnut, pistachio, cashew, cream and cinnamon, chocolate and liquor, for those of you who aren't driving. The drinks will be served in a moment." He spoke calmly and turned around, heading for the kitchen again.
"Wow, I could have mistaken him for a professional." Jack kept his eyes glued to the young man as he walked away.
"He was, for a while, during University. When Ianto and I met, we were already in our last year of college, but he did tell me that when he first came to London he had to get a job in order to survive, during the summer before his classes. He used to work in a café somewhere near the London Eye and practically invented a special sort of uniform for himself, although the baristas there weren't required to wear one. His boss liked the uniform so much, that he asked Ianto to make a special one for each of his employees. The whole thing was a huge success, especially with all the tourists, as they thought this was a cosplay café, and the owner even recommended Ianto to one of his friends, some well-known designer… who turned out to be one of his professors, later on."
"Couldn't his parents help him with money?" Jack inquired quietly.
"Yes and no. His mum died when he and Rhia were kids and his tad held the tailor shop his entire life. He also wanted his children to have more chances than he had, so, when Rhia announced him that she needed little more than a husband and kids, their old man turned to Ianto and pushed him to do more and more, discover his talents and preferences, go to Uni… even if it meant leaving Wales… He wanted only the best for him. And that's why he didn't let him take over the shop and sent him to London. The problem was that he had already grown old and couldn't work as much as before… so the customers became fewer and fewer… so Ianto, already feeling bad enough for leaving his tad alone, made sure he would never have to ask for anything. He died shortly after he and I met and Rhia sealed this building off. By the time we finished Uni, she was thinking of selling the property… but then some bad stuff happened and Ianto decided to come back… and he brought me with him. He renovated the whole thing, gave me the second floor and started the flourishing business you see today." She said, all the while not meeting Jack's eyes and petting the dozing feline in her lap.
"What a special man our dear Mr. Jones is…"
"You're just saying that because you want to taste my new coffee blends." Said man mocked him while carefully carrying a heavy large tray, filled with 6 small kettles and various containers, among which a large cup of cream, different powders and an unusual flask filled with a liquid that definitely contained alcohol.
"You sure you don't need any help?" Jack jumped to his feet, trying to assist him in some way.
"Alright, see to the tray I left on the kitchen counter." The American quickly moved towards the designated place and returned with small cups (all eighteen of them, each bearing different colours and tiny markings), a matching amount of teaspoons and some larger, normal ones.
"This is the first time I've seen anyone this serious and prepared for a coffee tasting." He settled the tray next to its companions on the short table and was surprised to see both Tosh and Ianto sitting on the carpet, not even minding the furniture. "Umm…"
"Oh, sorry, Tosh and I have been doing this for so long that I forget what it's like to have new company at these events. Don't worry, have a seat." The young tailor patted the floor next to him. "My carpet won't kill you, as it is unnaturally clean."
"It's easier to reach the table from down here. And besides, if I were to stain his beloved sofa, he'd have my head." Tosh spoke before wolfing down a chocolate chip cookie. Behind her, Bluff sprawled himself over the warm spot she had left behind, only to indulge in feline dreams, not minding the silly humans settled around the coffee table.
As promised, Tosh! Sadly, she won't be joining us for the next two chapters... but there will be some other stuff going on in the next installment and some familiar people at Owen's wedding, so, hopefully, that'll keep you guys occupied.
As always, remember that every author's favourite spiritual food is the review! As many and as often as possible XD