A/N:

This chapter is a mess! I've rewritten it a dozen times. It's never worked. I'll write it, hate it, work on something else, come back and rewrite. While this chapter might be dreck, the plus side is the sequel to this story is almost done. I finally decided on this version just so I could move on to the end of the story.

Chapter 24 – Lock Your Phone

It was early yet, barely 10 pm, but Ianto was feeling, for lack of a better word, spent. After the emotional ups and downs of the funeral, the confrontation with Dave's son, the absurd amounts of liquor, and the tornado that was Jack, Ianto felt peaceful, mostly sober, and sated. While he was no longer drunk, he used the excuse of alcohol to snuggle into Jack's side and unabashedly used Jack's shoulder as a surprisingly comfortable pillow. Jack, who had gone from considerate to lascivious to tender so quickly Ianto thought he would have been drunk from simply being with the man, was now looking similarly relaxed. The calming motion of Jack's hands, one on his back encouraging him to stay burrowed against Jack and the other gently rubbing his side, was easing him gently to sleep.

Ianto willed himself to not think about funerals, death, or the implications of spending the night in his bed with Jack wrapped around him. He was on the cusp of sleep when he heard a light buzzing sound. He ignored it. Jack did not. He yanked his arm out from under Ianto and leapt from the bed. Ianto looked up through drowsy eyes and watched as Jack tore through his discarded clothes for the source of the buzzing. Ianto was momentarily alarmed until he identified the source as Jack's cell phone.

"Rift," Ianto asked wondering when his mouth had become so gooey.

"Nothing to worry about," Jack said turning away from Ianto. Ianto wondered how Jack didn't know him well enough to know that telling him not to worry was a surefire way to bring that thing to the forefront of his mind.

Ianto propped himself up on his elbows and watched Jack surreptitiously type something. A moment later the phone buzzed again and Jack closed the phone. He put it on the bedside table, picked up his clothes and began dressing. Ianto lifted the covers away and prepared to exit the bed.

"Woah there, soldier," Jack said smiling broadly. Ianto was immediately suspicious. "No need to drag yourself out of that comfy bed. Just a little change in plans." Jack hopped over to the bed and grabbed Ianto's face. He kissed his forehead and released him. "I don't want to see you until after lunch tomorrow, clear? Sleep in and relax. When you get in, I'll have a surprise for you."

Ianto smiled back, but didn't feel the need to make it look convincing. He knew Jack would be able to read the disappointment on his face if he wanted to. Ianto could easily read Jack's face and it was clear he didn't want to take notice of anything Ianto's face was displaying. Ianto dropped back onto the mattress and pulled the covers over himself.

"Fine," Ianto said using the intergalactic would for things not being fine. "Goodnight," he added when Jack turned the bedroom light off.

"'Night," Jack replied as he left.

Ianto tried to get back to sleep. He realized it was fruitless, but he didn't want to admit how easily Jack affected him. Of course, he was alone and it was night and he had nothing more pressing to consume his mind so thoughts of his relationship with Jack, as unexpected as it was unhealthy, began to churn. The tired inner monologue always began the same way and always ended with the same question. What was this relationship with Jack?

Like a prosecutor seeking a conviction, Ianto went through the latest evidence. Jack, with no obvious self-interest, came to Dave's funeral. Less suspect, Jack had arrived at the Dragon's Tale to pick him up. Jack had clearly been motivated by his insatiable sex drive. On the other hand, Ianto argued with himself, Jack didn't need to go to that kind of trouble to get laid. He seemed genuinely happy to see Ianto.

Ianto set the thought aside. If he went on his usual tangent trying to figure out what Jack saw in him he would be up all night.

Jack's behavior, outside of the sex, could be explained as friendship, Ianto reasoned. "Facts not in evidence," a voice boomed in his head. But was it really so unreasonable? He wished he could ask Jack, but he knew Jack would laugh. It was a little silly he supposed. Boss, friend, lover – well, convenient sexual outlet. Did it matter?

And what, he asked himself, would he want it to be if he had some say in it? He knew he did have some say. He could quit Torchwood. He could probably even line up a position at UNIT and avoid the Retcon. Then Jack wouldn't be his boss. I also, Ianto continued to reason, wouldn't be conveniently available which would effectively end the sexual outlet part. Would we still be friends? Ianto had no intention of leaving Torchwood, but he often fantasized hypothetical situations where he was no longer a part of the Institute.

The next piece of evidence, Jack and Ianto didn't always end up having sex. They hadn't at the funeral, thank the Saints. But, Ianto's prosecutor voice declared, wasn't that a prelude to the next encounter? If Jack hadn't made amends by showing his support Ianto wouldn't have been thinking about him at the pub.

There it was. That feeling. That horrible feeling Ianto got when he thought too hard about him and Jack. Maybe, Ianto thought glumly, what Jack saw in me is the comedic and entertainment value of making me jump at his slightest whim. If someone had asked him 24 hours ago if he was going to have sex with Jack anytime in the near future, Ianto would have laughed in their faces. Now, after a kind gesture and a few well-placed words, Ianto had done exactly that.

He was reminded of when he and Lisa had first started dating. Lisa would assure him he was important to her in one moment and he'd catch her sending e-mails to her ex-boyfriend with the next. But that was different. He had been in love with Lisa so when the e-mails turned into an affair and Ianto found out, he forgave her. He and Jack didn't have any kind of commitment. They weren't dating. If Ianto was feeling used it was his fault, not Jack's. He didn't have to spend the night…Ianto realized he was crying.

As he began contemplating the meaning of the wet evidence on his face he heard a buzzing sound. Turning over towards the sound, he saw the light of a cell phone on his bedside table. He stared at it until the light dimmed and then continued to look in its general vicinity. Ianto, angry at himself and now angry at Jack's forgetfulness, finally threw the covers back and sat up. He turned on the bedside lamp and picked up the cell phone.

It wasn't like he was going to read Jack's messages. Even if he wanted to, Jack surely kept his phone locked. Ianto flipped the cover open. An envelope icon was lit.

Or Jack didn't and Ianto needed to have a serious discussion with him about security.

One of the things Jack liked about Ianto, Ianto was almost certain, was his lack of intrusiveness. He made it clear he enjoyed hearing about Jack, but he never pushed for more information. If Jack was in a talkative mood, Ianto would occasionally ask questions that steered the story or conversation into an area he was curious about, but he never pried. Reading the message would be prying.

Ianto's brain continued to debate the morality and ethics of his actions as his hands navigated the onscreen menus.

The new message was from someone named Missy and read "Got here early – at the bar". Further investigation wasn't required, but Ianto decided in for a penny, in for a pound.

10:12 pm Missy wrote "Change in plan Im free Wanna meet" Ianto gave her low marks for punctuation. And was that a question, a suggestion, or a request?

10:13 pm Jack wrote "Sure – usually place? 12?"

10:13 pm Missy wrote "kewl CU" Ianto thought that message was enough in itself for him to conjure an image in his mind of the type of person this Missy was.

Not that he was jealous. No, he was simply curious. He wasn't fighting the urge to throw the phone across the room because he was hurt. No, he was only disappointed in Jack's poor manners. And he definitely wasn't crying because knowing Jack wanted to be with someone else broke his heart. No, he was just overtired and emotional from the long day and funeral.

Ianto changed the status of the last message back to unread and closed the phone.

As soon as Ianto walked into the Hub he knew something was up. He never claimed to be empathic, but he didn't think it took any special power to feel the atmosphere was somehow lighter. The team was gathered casually around the sofa eating pizza. At least they're happy and I won't have to order lunch, Ianto thought as he joined them.

"Speak of the devil," Jack said jumping up.

"I prefer Prince of Darkness if it's all the same," Ianto said stopping himself from standing too close to Jack.

"Never," Jack mock scowled. "You are the light of my life!" Jack took a step towards Ianto then abruptly stopped.

"If you start singing, I'll start retching," Owen warned.

"I'll have you know I sing like an angel," Jack defended.

Ianto bit back a snide remark about Jack's decided lack of other angelic features. Instead he pulled out Jack's cell phone and handed it to him.

"Thanks for driving me home last night. You must have dropped this," he said awkwardly. Jack took the phone and slipped it in his pocket without looking at it.

"Jack said the funeral was perfect," Tosh said touching Ianto's sleeve.

"He also told us you got blitzed and had a punch up with the deceased's only son. Nice to see you went with a traditional Welsh funeral," Owen added. Gwen elbowed him in the ribs.

Ianto was glad the team was in high spirits, but his own dark mood made it difficult to tolerate their presence.

"I'll be in the Archives if you need anything," Ianto said turning to walk away without addressing anyone in particular.

"Oh no you don't," Jack said grabbing Ianto's arms and pulling him towards his office. "I told you. I have a surprise for you."

"It's wonderful, Ianto," Tosh called. Ianto turned back to the team who were all smiling.

"Not a private surprise then," Ianto said when they reached Jack's desk.

"I couldn't wait for you to get here so I tested it out on the team." Jack smiled excitedly. "I know based on the things we've had thrown at us through the Rift it seems there's nothing good out there in the Universe. Well," Jack said picking up the metal cube, "this is evidence to the contrary."

The cube Jack had been obsessing over looked much like it had to begin with to Ianto. The metal was polished, but it still looked like it had been through a war. Ianto knew Jack had put in a lot of hours and had dismantled and reassembled the cube. He looked at it wearily, but tried to put on a smile for Jack's sake.

"Do you want to guess what it is," Jack asked waving the cube under Ianto's nose.

"A Slitheen popcorn popper." Jack shook his head. Ianto was distracted by the gleam in his eyes. "Automatic shoe shiner with optional delouser." Jack smirked and shook his head. "A pasta calibrator – never have uneven spaghetti again and if you order now we'll throw in 12 issues of Macaroni Measurer Monthly."

"You watch too much late night television."

"It beats sleeping alone." Their eyes locked and Ianto tried not to show anything. He knew he failed when Jack looked away.

"I really did plan to spend the night," Jack said quietly.

"Doesn't matter," Ianto said quickly. "So clearly I'm not good at guessing. What does your cube do?" He gave Jack another small smile hoping he'd not discuss their arrangement further.

Jack smiled back and gestured to the Cube.

"This is a portal to happier days," Jack said sounding to Ianto like one of the infomercial pitchmen he'd been mocking.