The four Torchwood team members threaded their way through the bar to their usual seat by the window where their friends were waiting. Jack did the introductions, "Boys and girls, this is Mickey Smith. Mickey, here we have PC Andy Davidson. He's Gwen's opposite number in police liaison and her former beat partner from her days with the police. Next we have Rhys who, as you had probably guessed, is Gwen's better half." The former PC, who had settled in against her husband, pulled a shocked and offended face at him, "And last, but by no means least, we have Atraxet. I have no idea what he's doing here, but he's a blowfish, don't worry about it."

"Nice to meet you all." He nodded a greeting, "So what have I let myself in for?"

"Madness" Rhys returned his nod

"Danger" Atraxet supplied with a thrill lover's grin

PC Andy took a sip from his drink and smirked, "Weird shit and spooky dos."

"You mean my life since my girlfriend ran off in a phone box?" He asked with a wry smile, dropping into the seat next to Atraxet, leaving Jack and Ianto the booth seat together.

"Yeah, except you get paid for it." Jack pointed out, sharing the smile of someone who'd lived that life and given it up

Ianto checked his watch and smiled secretively at his partner. They had volunteered to be the designated drivers for the night, whilst Gwen and Rhys had offered Mickey somewhere to stay for the night. The others had gone not long before, and the newest Torchwood member and his host family were quite merry. The captain laughed at Mickey's impression of a Slitheen and nodded in agreement to Ianto, standing up with a friendly but firm smile, "Ladies and gentlemen, the designated drivers are now going home. If you want a lift, you should probably come with us."

"Oh Jack!" Gwen moaned, her eyes wide and pleading, but slightly unfocused, "Come on, it's early yet."

"Good, you can be in early in the morning then, can't you. Come on, some of us have somewhere to be."

"And where might that be?" Rhys asked with a knowing smirk

Jack just winked at him, "Are you coming then?"

They stood up with good-natured groans and followed him out into the street, calling out good nights to the regulars and bar staff as they went. Once outside the cold hit them and Gwen scowled, "Bloody hell it's cold, can't we go back inside where it's warm?"

"Gwen, in." Ianto chided playfully, ushering her towards the back door of the SUV and hurrying round to get into the driver's seat before Jack could. The older man pouted but with a laugh, and proceeded to distract his partner all the way home with a hand on his thigh. Cheerful banter passed backwards and forwards without a single reference to aliens, weird shit or spooky dos, as Andy always so eloquently put it.

They pulled up outside Gwen and Rhys's apartment and the three in the back got out, waving to Ianto and Jack as the SUV pulled away again. Gwen led the way up to the door and let them in, wandering across to the kitchen area to get a bottle of wine and some glasses whilst Rhys and Mickey flopped down onto the sofa and an armchair, respectively.

"So Rhys, you've never been tempted to join the madhouse down at Torchwood then?" Mickey asked as Gwen returned

Rhys laughed, "Helped out a couple of times, now and again, and of course there was the wedding. Put me off for life that did."

"Your wedding?"

"Yeah."

"What happened?" He accepted a glass off Gwen and sat up in interest.

Rhys rolled his eyes and pulled Gwen closer to him, "Well this one, of her own volition I am led to understand, went out on a hunt the night before the wedding and got bitten by a Nostrovite…"

"Those shape shifters that get you pregnant with a bite?"

"That's the one. So yeah, as you've probably guessed, she ends up pregnant on our wedding day with the alien Mummy chasing after her and of course she's mega hormonal so she insists she's going through with the wedding. I ended up threatening an alien posing as my mother with a chain saw!"

"And punched Jack."

"And punched Jack." He agreed ruefully

"Something we all wish we could do." Mickey grinned

"Oh yes." Gwen grinned, "So how do you know Jack Mickey?"

"Long story." He sighed and leaned back, "I had this girlfriend, Rose Tyler, who ran off with an alien in a blue police box. She was missing for twelve months, thought she'd only been gone twelve hours, stuff like that." They nodded in understanding, "Anyway, I got a call from her, saying they were coming to Cardiff, so I jumped on the first train there. By that time, Captain Cheesecake was travelling with them and, let's just say that he and I didn't see eye to eye. But he was cool, I was sad to hear that he'd died, then the thing with the Daleks happened, I got back here from my parallel universe and he's alive and offering me a job. I told him where to stick it and took him up on it."

"That doesn't make any sense." Rhys pointed out

"Ah well, you see, I turned him down before I'd really looked at Cardiff as an option and before I realised that I don't really have a life left here anymore. I was missing, presumed dead!"

"So what did they think when you turned up again?"

"After Daleks in the sky? I told them I was abducted by aliens, believed me no problem."

Jack closed and locked the door, took his boots off and hung his coat up before he followed his lover through to the kitchen. Once he found him he approached from behind and wrapped his arms around the slim waist, nuzzling gently at the young man's neck, "You know, if you make coffee that strong we'll be up all night."

He poured the coffee out with a wicked grip, passing Jack a mug before pulling him close, "Not complaining I hope, sir?"

Jack groaned as their hips bumped together and cupped the back of Ianto's neck to bring their lips together, plunging his tongue into his mouth to taste the strong, bittersweet first sip of coffee that Ianto had taken. When they finally parted they were both breathing heavily and their eyes were dark with lust. He stroked the younger man's cheek gently with two fingers and gazed into his ocean blue eyes, as deep and powerful as any ocean and, to Jack at least, as dangerous too. "Perfect." He whispered, "Always perfect."

Ianto smirked playfully, "And how's the coffee?" Those eyes he loved crinkled with laughter and he couldn't resist, leaning forwards he claimed Jack's lips for a tender, almost chaste kiss. Before he broke it he'd slipped his free hand down to Jacks and laced their fingers together, stroking the band on Jack's finger once before he tugged gently to lead his partner up to the bedroom.

Jack unclipped his braces and removed his shirt, dropping both on the chair as he crossed the room from the window, where he'd just closed the curtains, to the bed where Ianto waited for him, his warm smile practically lighting the whole room.

He settled onto the bed and pulled the younger man carefully into his arms, mindful of the still half full mug of coffee he cradled. They rested against each other and discussed the day's events, the Formula 1 result, anything and everything that came to mind. Now was their chance to be a normal couple, to love each other and live for each other and, although it was never mentioned explicitly, this was when they strived to create the memories that Jack could treasure for all time.

Ianto set aside his empty mug and snuggled further into Jack's side, smiling involuntarily when the older man's arm tightened to hold him closer, as if he would never let go. He slipped his hand under the older man's T-shirt, relishing the feel of soft, warm skin and hard, defined muscle under his fingers. The captain sighed happily, causing his stomach to rise and fall under Ianto's hand. A shift and a change in the tension of the muscles indicated that Jack had finished his coffee and set it on the bedside table. Sure enough, nimble fingers were soon unfastening the buttons of his shirt and strong, gentle hands turned him so that he was lying on his back with his shirt open and Jack leaning over him, trailing a finger down his chest lazily.

"God Yan, you are so beautiful." Ianto's breath caught at the intensity in Jack's eyes; they were caught, drowning in each other, oblivious to the rest of the world, the pressures and horrors of their job temporarily forgotten.

He reached down and tugged at the bottom of his lover's T-shirt, pulling it up over his chest and holding him up so he could slip it over his arms, then continued to support him with one arm whilst he curled the other hand around the back of his neck, twining his fingers in soft, silky hair as he pulled him closer. They maintained eye contact for as long as possible, gazing at each other for long moments until their noses brushed against each other. Jack hesitated a moment longer before he closed his eyes and the distance between them, pressing their lips together gently.

The kiss intensified as Ianto slid his hand down Jack's side to plunge his fingers under the waistband of his trousers. Jack groaned into the kiss and the younger man took the opportunity to slip his tongue into his mouth, coaxing his tongue into slipping against his own gently. Groaning himself at the warm, tender contact he slid his free hand back up Jack's back to press him down, bringing them closer and leaving Jack to sink gently onto him so that they were in contact along the length of their bodies, their legs tangled together. At Ianto's urging, Jack lifted his hips to allow the younger man to remove his trousers and boxers, then rolled them so that he could do the same.

Ianto used his position of power to break the kiss, trailing his way down the older man's chest with tongue and teeth. He smirked and took his lover into his mouth, growling with pleasure when Jack twitched in his mouth and fingers wound into his hair tightly.

Before very long Jack was a quivering mess, crying Ianto's name incoherently and begging for more, aching to feel his lover inside him. Ianto pulled away, amused at Jack's mew as he did so, and slid up the bed to kiss him again, reaching behind him for the tube from the bedside table drawer. He prepared his lover gently, careful not to push him too far too soon, and had soon buried himself equally carefully and tenderly.

They paused again, both acclimatising to the familiar feelings before they moved and Ianto knelt up fully, pulling Jack into his lap to hold him closer and fill him deeper. Then they moved together, eyes closed, breathing in each other. Ianto kissed Jack's chest, relishing the tense muscles as he tasted him and recognised sweat, cotton, fifty-first century pheromones and coffee.

Gentle hands lifted his head up and Jack's lips met his softly as Jack sank onto him again. "Ianto!" He hit that secret spot and the immortal threw his head back, crying out as he spiralled out of control. Ianto registered the tightening as he came himself, gasping Jack's name against his chest and holding on for dear life.

When the world righted itself, Ianto, still breathing heavily, pulled carefully out of Jack and reached for a tissue to clean them up, then pushed Jack back against the pillows, resting his head on his chest and draping a possessive arm across the older man's waist. "I love you." He whispered softly

"I love you too, so much." Jack pressed a kiss into his hair and smiled when Ianto's arm tightened across his waist. He was still smiling when sleep claimed him shortly later.