VI.

It had been a good night, remarkably free of anything having to do with Torchwood, which probably meant that at any moment things would go tits up and some catastrophe would require their immediate assistance once more.

Jack had asked him out on a date weeks ago, and although they had tried twice already, both had been interrupted by calls. Which had been fine with Ianto, because the first date in particular had been incredibly awkward for too many reasons to count. The second had been even worse after the disaster of the first, but Jack had been determined to make good on his offer of a date, and apparently the third time was the charm.

For now.

Jack had somehow convinced Tosh and Owen to mind the Hub, eventually confessing that he'd bribed them with a weekend off if they didn't call Jack or Ianto unless the world was actually ending. Which meant they must have had some inkling of what was going on, and Ianto wasn't sure how he felt about that. Shagging the boss was one thing; dating Jack was quite another, and he knew Owen would take the piss as soon as he could.

Still, it had gone well so far. No one had called from the Hub, and Jack had planned a perfect evening. They'd started with drinks and a delicious dinner at one of the most upscale restaurants in town. While Ianto often felt out of place at such restaurants, he found instead that he quite liked it. Yes, he was a pub and a pint kind of guy, but this…this he could get used to. Elegant table settings, dim lighting and candles, an expert sommelier, incredibly polite waitstaff, and of course amazing food and wine: what wasn't there to like? And somehow, in spite of the awkwardness of their first two attempts, he and Jack were able to relax and enjoy spending time together. Not as coworkers, and not only as friends, but as something more. A real date.

Afterward, Jack had taken him to an outdoor symphony concert. It had been a beautiful evening, and Ianto had enjoyed the selections of light classical music and showtunes tremendously. They'd stopped for a late dessert at an outdoor café before Jack had offered to drive Ianto home. The night had gone so well that Ianto finally felt comfortable moving forward with Jack again and had invited him up to his flat for a drink.

Now he sat at the breakfast bar with a martini in his hands, waiting for Jack to return from the bathroom and thinking about how well the night had gone. He was still half expecting a call from the Hub, but was glad to have had the night to themselves. And he was looking forward to extending that night as well.

He was so lost in his thoughts that Jack managed to come up behind him and place something on Ianto's head. Jack's RAF cap. The one Ianto had taken for himself from the Hub weeks ago. The one he'd hung on his closet door and had completely forgot about. The one now perched on his head as Jack chuckled softly behind him and Ianto felt his face flush in embarrassment.

"You stole my hat," Jack teased.

Ianto grabbed it from his head as quickly as he could, standing and facing Jack, handing the hat back to him.

"I borrowed it," he said. "And now I can return it. I apologize for not doing so sooner."

Jack grinned, took the hat, and placed it on the counter. "It's fine. I knew you liked it. It's the uniform thing."

Ianto rolled his eyes, grabbed his drink, and knocked back half. Jack raised an eyebrow.

"It's not that," he murmured, handing Jack the other martini.

"Costume party?" Jack asked. Ianto knew Jack was teasing, he did, but at the same time his embarrassment at having been caught with the hat coupled with his reasons for bringing it home, and his words came out harsher than he intended for at the end of a wonderful night.

"Of course not," he said with a weary sigh. "I took it to remember you, Jack. I didn't think you were coming back."

And just like that, the mood between them shattered.

"I'm sorry," Jack whispered, dropping his head to stare into his drink.

"I know," Ianto replied, running a hand through his hair. "And I'm sorry I said that. I don't want things to end this way, because tonight was great, it really was."

Jack nodded, but his eyes were sad. "I had an amazing time," he said, clearing his throat and taking a drink. "I hope we can do it again."

Ianto breathed a sigh of relief. "I'd like that."

"Really?" Jack asked, sounding skeptical.

"Really," Ianto said. "Look, I understand why you left and I'm even starting to believe why you came back." He held up a hand when Jack started to protest. "And I'm glad you're back. I enjoyed the…well, our date. Thank you."

"Thank you," said Jack, his gaze intense. "For giving me another chance. I'm sorry I teased you about the hat."

"Yes, well, I knew you would eventually," Ianto grumbled good-naturedly. "I just didn't except it to sting so much." He ran a finger along the black patent leather above the brim. "It reminded me of a lot things. Of who you really were, all the good you've done. Even a bit of what we had before you left." He shrugged and took another drink. "I suppose I don't need it anymore."

Jack set his drink down, picked up the hat, and placed it on Ianto's head. "Keep it," he said, his voice low and quiet as he stepped closer.

"Jack," Ianto started, and Jack placed a finger to his lips. He took Ianto's glass with his other hand and set it down. Ianto couldn't help but shudder at the touch, however innocent. It had been a long time since they'd been so close.

"Keep it," Jack repeated. "Not as a reminder, but as a promise. If I ever have to leave again—and I have no plans to go whatsoever—I will always come back."

Ianto stared at him, mesmerized. "Why?" he finally asked. "Why keep coming back?"

Jack leaned closer. "Because I like that hat," he said, then winked. Ianto pushed him away, yet couldn't help but laugh with Jack. Honestly, it was a relief to break the tension hanging between them. He took off the hat and placed it on Jack's head.

"It looks better on your big head," he said, and Jack grinned again. He grabbed Ianto's hand and pulled him close. Ianto's heart immediately sped up, and he was fairly sure he could feel Jack's heart pounding against his chest.

"Maybe," he said. "It's just a hat, though. I'll come back for you."

Ianto would have stepped away if he could have, but Jack was holding him tight. It was almost impossible not to feel Jack's sincerity, and Ianto wasn't sure what it meant, or what to do with it.

"Well, I do make good coffee," Ianto replied. A small frown appeared on Jack's face, which Ianto tried quickly to remove. "Amongst other things."

"Ianto, I—"

"Jack, don't," Ianto said. "Don't say anything you don't mean."

"I meant what I said," Jack said heatedly. "I want to be with you, I—"

Ianto kissed him hard to shut him up; he felt like he was in some clichéd romantic comedy, but it worked. He literally swallowed Jack's words and was rewarded when Jack groaned instead, his arms pulling Ianto even closer.

"Let's take it slow, all right?" Ianto said quietly. "I don't think either one of us is ready for any major declarations right now."

"You mean, wait and see where things go from here?" Jack asked. He almost sounded disappointed

"Oh, well," said Ianto, letting a smirk pull at his lips and his eyes glance toward the bedroom. "I know where I'm hoping to go from here."

He waited a heartbeat, then Jack's eyes went wide. "I can think of few ideas," he said. Falling into familiarity, Ianto nodded.

"There's quite a list," he said, and Jack threw his head back and laughed.

"That is my favorite pick-up line of all time," he said. "Do you still have the stopwatch?"

"It's at the Hub," Ianto mock-sighed.

"I suppose we'll just have to take our time," Jack murmured. He leaned forward for another kiss. Ianto almost melted into it, it had been so long.

"Let's get more comfortable then," he said. He took Jack's hand and pulled him toward the bedroom. Stopping just outside the door, he took off the hat and set it on a nearby table. "I'm not letting it watch," he said when Jack gave him a curious look.

"You never know," Jack said. "You might like bringing it into the bedroom."

Ianto shook his head. "Just you, all right? It's been a while, after all."

Jack kissed him again and they stumbled into the bedroom together. "Just us," he murmured against Ianto's lips. And for that night, it was just them, taking things slow.


Author's Note:

I've got nothing. Hope you liked it. Bit of a hint for what's next, which might be an extra few days as I've caught up to myself now. Enjoy and thank you!