Chap 12
FLASHBACK CONT.
Jack comes in to see why they are still up. Doc had fallen asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow and Rhys was unwilling to cut the feed, liking the comradery he was hearing, so far away.
Ianto moves quickly to intercept him. Blocks his view.
"I came to apologize." Jack began, "You were uncomfortable with a situation the other day, and I made you more uncomfortable for my own amusement. I'm sorry. It's too small a ship for playground games."
"Okay." Ianto nods, agreeing so he can leave them alone.
"Okay? No witty comeback? No gloating?" Jack frowns. "No explanation for why the temperature in this sphere is up three degrees?"
Jack slithers by him before he can stop him to find Owen tending a huge contraption of glass tubing, Bunsen burners and filtration tanks.
"He's teaching me." Ianto stutters, pushing past Jack to stand by Owen, "about biology. I've developed an interest in..."
"...fermentation?" Jack hoots, "Even when you make it out of high-tech glassware, a still looks just like a still."
"You built a still?" Jack asks and Rhys covers his mouth to smother his laughter lest Jack also discover their third partner in the scheme.
"It's a science experiment. Did you know that an ounce of red wine per day actually benefits your heart?" Owen said defiantly.
"So does three ounces of grape juice." Jack eyeballs him back.
"Grapes don't grow well hydroponically...So we, ah, used potatoes..." Ianto muttered and Jack gaped.
"You're making moonshine vodka on my ship." He slowly stated.
"Well, yes, Sir. But we ran it through the Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer and the impurity levels are very low." Ianto says quickly.
"How's it taste?" Jack tilts his head and Owen is the first to realize they're off the hook.
"It's a little rough." Owen admits.
"Are you going to offer me a drink?" Jack sits at the table and Ianto lowers into the chair next to him with relief.
"Of course. That would be the polite thing to do." Owen simpers.
Jack tosses it back. "Woooof."
They laugh nervously. Rhys can now be heard and Jack looks up at the speakers and smiles.
"That's a little rough. How much have you made?" He finally asks.
"About three litres." Owen admits.
Jack nods, "You're done. Dismantle the science project. Offer equal rations to the crew. Mr. Hart doesn't drink, you wouldn't like him if he did."
They nod slowly and Rhys can be heard sighing.
"Now tell me the truth. How much were you cutting this?" Jack looked a this empty glass with surprise.
"About three to one. I can't believe you drank that." Ianto smiled.
"I learned to fly in the Navy." Jack laughs, "Wimps."
Half an hour later they have half a beaker of vodka left. They're all looped and laughing.
"I spent half of my life trying to make a better potato. And the second half trying to stop it. The things were so damn good they killed everything in their path. Corn, wheat, barley..." Owen says then his face drops, "We fucked up our own back yard, hit the Malthusian wall, and tried to breed our way out of it. Maybe we don't deserve another chance."
"Don't worry, if we need any help on the surface, I'm allowed to grow us some six-fingered lab assistants." Owen lightens the mood again, he cracks up again. He's wasted. Knows it.
"I gotta go to bed." Owen slurs, stumbling off.
I'm signing off as well, goodnight then" Rhys says and they both call out their affections as he closes the connection. His Dad is with good people.
"I'm in space. I wanna see the stars." Ianto says moving out the hatch, Jakc laughs and pulls him by the leg into the opposite direction.
"Don't go outside." Jack giggles.
A billion stars, two very drunk people, half a beaker of moonshine vodka. Jack's talking about Owen as they star gaze, "He's okay. I bet there's a hell of a girl waiting for him back home."
"Three. And a horse." Ianto answers, "He really likes the horse."
"You're serious?" Jack snorts.
"He pines for the horse. You?" Ianto slowly turns his head to look at Jack in profile.
"I don't have a horse." Jack sighs.
"That's too bad." Ianto offers the almost empty beaker and Jack takes a swig.
"Can I ask you something very personal?" Jack asks softly.
"Okay."
"Do you have someone waiting for you back home? Or a horse?" Jack asks and Ianto stops breathing for a moment.
"With the kind of jobs I've had, it's very hard to maintain any kind of relationship." Ianto admits, "So...no horses."
"Or maybe you took those jobs 'cause you didn't want anyone waiting for you. Or maybe..."
"No, I like horses just fine." They've floated very close.
"You know, you're not who I thought you were at first." Jack mrmurs.
"Is that an insult or a compliment?" Ianto asks as he feels Jack's hands slide around hi hips, pulling them together.
"An observation." Jack whispers. They're very, very close. And very drunk. It's when he should kiss him.
The moment passes. They both know it was there and now it's gone. Drift apart. Feel stupid.
Damn.