A/N: Evening all! I must apologise for the later McFly reference in this... I went to see them yesterday and did not initially want to go... but, rather embarassingly, I really enjoyed it and yeah... am kind of buzzing for McFly right now, so please forgive me! Hope you like it! (also, the McFly bit is kind of referencing a joke from the DW episode of Never Mind the Buzzcock's for those of you cool kids who watch it!) Hannah xxx
Oh boy am I going to be in Jack's bad books by the end of today! It's only twelve thirty and I have already managed to completely and utterly tick him off and leave him feeling royally irritated through my exploration of my interpretation of the terms 'slave for a day'…
I think that perhaps when he established this as the winning prize for our bet over Thelma and Louise he probably thought that a) he would win and get do expand on the term to his heart's content, requesting that I perform all manner of unusual duties in the bedroom and provide him with a never ending supply of industrial strength coffee throughout the day; and b) that even if I won, that 'slave for a day' would basically equate to sex slave for a day and so he would still have a little enjoyment... Yes, I expect that he probably thought that this would provide him with an ideal excuse to try out that thing that he's been desperate for us to do for an age now that is just far too bizarre (kinky?) for me to contemplate seriously; or for us to buy another cake and… yeah…like last time; or an excuse for us to turn up in our underwear at work (me by force, naturally) or maybe even just to embarrass me at work with over the top displays of affection or ridiculous and sexual comments that he knows under normal circumstances I would not tolerate.
I guess he assumed that I would have similar plans for him if I won, so I expect it's all living up to be a frightful disappointment! To be honest though, no matter how disappointing my plans might seem to him, I think it's probably been a very lucky twist of fate that I ended up winning the bet and have been taking the unexpected (or rather the literal) take on 'slave for a day'…
For Jack, the realisation that this was not going to be a raunchy, lust fuelled day of rampant sex dawned upon him relatively early this morning. Once we had finished dinner and general television watching/chatting/cuddling in my sitting room last night, he'd been insistent that all alarm clocks should be switched firmly off so that the two of us could have a lie in, well me – it was my prize day and he probably wouldn't actually be 'sleeping' in, for a change. But my natural body clock woke me as usual at around six o'clock and I found myself laying in an empty bed with Jack nowhere to be seen, I assumed that he must have left to deal with an early rift alert and didn't want to wake me, or that he couldn't sleep and had popped up to a random roof somewhere assuming that I would still be sound asleep. So I got up for a short while, not bothering to put any further clothes on above my boxer shorts, and made myself a tea (I think for perhaps the first time in my life I was craving tea and not coffee! It's an unusual sensation I can tell you now!) and wrote an entry in here before getting back into bed to doze and pretend as if I had never woken.
Usually I find it rather difficult to get back off to sleep after waking so close to my normal rising hour, but I was surprised to find that I was able to drift off rather easily, only to be woken at around half past nine by Jack. Instead of calling my name to wake me, or tickling me or chucking a pillow at my head (all previous ways that he has chosen to do so on the few rare occasions that we have been allowed to rise naturally), I woke to the feeling of him laying a trail of kisses up from just above the waistband of my underwear, right the way up my stomach and chest, to my chin and then finally to plant a light peck on my mouth. It was quite an odd, yet pleasant, sensation to wake up to.
"Rise and shine sleepy head" He chuckled against my lips. "Or should I say… rise and shine master for after all, today your wishes are my commands" He grinned and started making his way back down again, but I stopped him just before he reached my navel.
"Ah, indeed it is… so how about breakfast in bed?" I grinned.
Jack seemed a little fazed for a minute, clearly having been expecting a different first request, but plastered on a smile quite quickly. "As you wish, is there anything in particular that you'd like master?" He asked dutifully, repeating the word in the same exact, seductive tone that he had done initially… I must admit I could rather get used to that…
"Just orange juice with toast and jam will suffice" I replied, not trusting him to set his paws on my coffee machine and believing that even Jack would find it difficult to burn toast.
"Excellent choice" He said and left with a flourish.
He returned about fifteen minutes later, arms laden with two trays of orange juice, toast and jam and serviettes and the two of us sat in bed together to eat and chat before leisurely getting ready for work after he had assured me that there was no need to rush. Jack had concluded that neither of us should have to work too much today as there's no rift activity predicted until tomorrow when we are due to try and send Heidi back, Gwen is busy looking after said child at her apartment today and so isn't in, which just left Tosh and Owen to occupy themselves with preparing for Heidi's departure. So there was a lovely relaxed feel to our morning routine and both of us could feel guiltless about it, which is just as well as that was probably the last time that Jack will feel pleased all day and the last time that I'll feel guiltless…
After breakfast I asked him to 'tend to the rabbits', which prompted him to perform an impromptu impression of Lennie Small which was highly entertaining, and got him to help dry wash and dry the breakfast dishes with me. I think Jack felt a little miffed that I didn't wish to engage in some sort of pre-work love making fest, but he kept up his smile regardless when I requested that we walked to work today rather than driving (driving is really very unnecessary as I live within a close walking distance, but that man can be so lazy at six thirty/seven o'clock in the morning!) and happily indulged.
When we arrived at the hub we were greeted with a cheerful smile from Tosh and a not so cheerful smile from Owen, who begrudgingly handed me the ten pound note accompanied by a throw away comment which I didn't quite catch, though I think it was something along the lines of 'bloody teaboy, blood lucky bugger'… or something to that effect anyway – perhaps a little more colourful, after all, this is Owen we are talking about…
After that, Owen retreated to the medical bay to finish one of the tests he was running on a sample of Heidi's blood and Jack quickly nipped up to his office after reassuring me that he would only be gone for a minute or two, and that he was prepared to make up for lost time when he arrived back – of course, he didn't know then that he would actually be spending quite a great proportion of this morning in his office, and if that possibility had crossed his mind, I don't think he would have pictured himself partaking in the activity he ended up engaging in!
When it was just Tosh and I left inside the main floor of the hub, she came over to where I was stood leisurely leaning against the railings, feeling a little lost without any proper work to be done.
"Morning" I smiled as she approached me.
"Just!" She replied jokily, tapping at her watch, "and what time do you call this Ianto?" She asked.
"Twenty to eleven Tosh – as I'm sure your own watch can tell you" I replied with a wink and just a hint of sarcasm, which received me a well-deserved elbow dig in return.
"So… did you enjoy your lie in then?" Tosh asked nervously, blushing a little, obviously expecting the worst and most obvious answer.
"Yes thank you" I replied honestly, "we had breakfast in bed"
"Oh" Tosh replied, all hints of a blush gone now as the blatant disappointment from lack of gossip settled within her.
I laughed, "were you expecting something juicer?"
"No!" The blush was back. "I just… well… 'Slave for a day' and all… I mean, what exactly have you got planned?"
"Aha well… I think that one Captain Harkness is going to be mightily disappointed – first thing on the agenda, is to get him to tidy up that office! It's in a bloody tip once again and it's me who suffers when he can't find something!" I replied.
"Jones, Ianto Jones. You. Are. Evil." She replied grinning widely in appreciation.
"Thank you, thank you very much" I replied just as Jack was re-entering the hub with an expectant beam upon his face that I would soon be about to shatter.
"You want me to what!" Jack half choked out incredulously, eyes wide open, hands flailing in exaggerated gestures of disbelief and protestation.
"I would like you to please go and tidy up your office" I replied, smiling innocently.
"But, but! Today we are supposed to… I mean… how is that an act of slavery?" He asked, stuttering through his confusion and annoyance
"Well let's see shall we" I began allowing my eyes to sparkle for just a second, "When your office is untidy, it is often me who has to try and help you find what every random article it is you are searching for, or indeed me who has to try and tidy it up before it becomes so unruly and jungle like that it's uninhabitable! So really, you're doing me a rather massive act of 'slavery' – or a favour as I would prefer to call it – by clearing it out"
Jack huffed an exaggerated sigh; he was clearly feeling hard done by, but my requests fell under the terms and conditions of our agreed wager on the bet, so there was nothing he could do other than grin and bear it whilst he trudged back up to his office to begin his morning's task. He's been up there nearly an hour now and one might have suspected that he was just up there slacking if you weren't fully aware of the state of the room and thus found it hard to believe that it could take so long to tidy an office, or were out of ear shot of the loud crashing and banging and exasperated groans that were echoing out from the room and resonating around the hub. Toshiko and I have been sat at her work station, with her actually working properly and me idly completing a few dregs of overdue paperwork, struggling not to laugh at his frustration; and Owen has twice entered the main room of the hub in full on hysterics despite his early unhappy mood. Perhaps I should go and check on Jack soon…
I did indeed go and check on Jack fairly shortly after writing that, and almost immediately regretted doing so as I entered the room to find him riled up, overheated and stressed… on the plus side though, the office was looking a great deal neater! After exchanging a curt greeting with him I decided it was best to retreat now and leave him be… and definitely not tell him that the next proposition on my agenda was to get him to help me clean out the Weevil's cells…
Instead, I decided to give Gwen a ring to see how she was getting on with Heidi back at home, and wait for Jack to finish his task before talking to him again. When I spoke to her she seemed to be having a relatively good time, said that Heidi was a little bit of a handful (though I suppose that was only to be expected) and that she was absolutely desperate to explore the city but, naturally, she couldn't just start walking around the streets of Cardiff without risk of being attacked and so Gwen had had to stop her from trying to make a run for it a few times. But, ultimately, she was enjoying playing the parent which I didn't doubt for a minute that she would. She's been showing off some of the tricks that Daisy can do to her, they made biscuits and they watched both of the Bridget Jones's Diary films, so Heidi was getting the full '21st Century Earth teenager' experience. Things certainly seem to be going a lot better than when Gwen had Emma stay with her for a few weeks about 18 months ago, for starts Heidi hasn't been subjected to the sight of Rhys starkers…
By the time the phone call was over (it had been a long one; I swear Gwen just never stops talking!) Jack was also done and practically crawling down the stairs to the main floor of the hub, fuelled with over exaggerated exhaustion and weariness, evidently hamming up the effect to get out of any future challenges that I had in mind for him – but I am not one to be fooled easily.
Seeing as I'd had all morning near enough free, I'd prepared pea and ham soup - from scratch -for everyone in time for a late-ish lunch at about two o'clock, accompanied by extra strong, industrial strength coffee for Jack as I felt he did deserve a little bit of a treat amongst all of the hardship. Everyone seemed appreciative, even Jack who, upon receiving the beverage, initially forgot that he was a little irritated with me and pronounced the drink to be 'one of Ianto Jones's finest orgasms in a cup'… which is unfortunately not an unusual statement, but today at least I am allowed to request that he doesn't repeat it again, or anything of a similar nature, much to his anguish.
After lunch I announced my next major request to the Captain: It was Weevil cell cleaning time!
"What! Oh come on Ianto this is getting ridiculous!" He protested in a similar manner as to his earlier response. "Is this really how you want to spend your day having me as your slave, by getting me to clean!" I did start to feel a little guilty then… but I just kept reminding myself that I had won the bet fair and square and that if our positions had been reversed then I would have without a doubt been subjected to much greater torments so far.
"Yes. Anything else I can get from you normally!" I replied, leaving it up to him how suggestively to take that comment. "But today is the one day where I can ask you to tidy up and you can't complain – did you really think I wouldn't take advantage of that?" I grinned wickedly, and heard Tosh giggling away in the background after clearly overhearing.
He practically growled in response.
"Besides, with the two of us down there together, it might even be a laugh" I joked, knowing full well that it wouldn't be… Jack was, of course, sulky and sullen throughout the entire process and practically refused to talk to me unless it was entirely necessary. I suppose I could have requested that he, as my slave, must talk to me when I require his attention, but I figured that that was probably a bit of a desperate measure to take, and quite possibly taking the 'slave' concept too far.
I didn't request anything further of him whilst we were at work, I didn't want to push him too far over the edge and actually make him full on fuming with me rather than just a little temporarily irritated, and he spent the remainder of this afternoon shut away in his now very tidy office with me occasionally brining him cups of coffee – and a biscuit or two – out of guilt. He seemed to appreciate the gestures but still isn't talking to me properly, and it's nearing home time so I hope he gets over it soon or tonight it going to be very awkward indeed.
Oh thank goodness! He's over it, all is well, and he's talking to me once again and he's not even cross… though I suspect he will still find a suitable way to try and get me back but I can worry about that when the time comes. We all left the hub at a reasonably early hour (about six or just gone I believe) and the pair of us came back to my apartment for the second night running. Initially I was dubious as to how Jack would be feeling towards me after my use of today, but he was happy enough to smile at me and lace his fingers with mine when I extended my ready hand out towards him on our walk home, and equally happy to pester and touch me – as usual – whilst I was trying to prepare a Shepherd's Pie for our dinner, which were both promising signs.
Funnily enough I hadn't trusted Jack enough to prepare diner for the two of us… I really do like my kitchen the way it is: tidy and un-singed…but otherwise I probably would have handed that duty over to him today as it is so difficult to cook whilst someone is following you around! Never the less, I still managed to cook something that was half decent, and over dinner I was able to engage in my first (enjoyable) conversation with Jack since breakfast: tonight the conversation ranged from the discussion of Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophical concepts, to who was more attractive: Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman, to Eastenders… essentially the conversation grew less and less highbrow with the passing time, but that doesn't matter, I always enjoy talking with Jack no matter what the topic, and he had clearly forgiven me (ish) for my commands earlier.
It was about quarter to ten, and the two of us were curled up on the sofa listening to the radio (Radio 6 Music) by the time I made use of having Jack as my 'slave for the day' and proposed to him my final request:
"Umm… Jack… I was, well there's just one more thing that I was wondering if you might do for me…?" I asked nervously.
Jack sighed, rolled his eyes and clutched his brow with exasperation before asking back: "What? What is it now?" in an extremely weary and irritable tone.
"Well, I was just wondering if… if you might sing for me" I mumbled.
"If I would what?"
"Sing! For me… if you'd sing for me" I said more clearly, though still slightly embarrassed. Jack has such a lovely voice and it's wonderful when he spontaneously bursts into song and manages to brighten up a whole room, but he doesn't do it often enough for my liking, and I'm not one hundred percent sure if he's aware that I like it when he does quite so much…
Jack looked me right in the eyes and laughed and despite the fact that it was a kind laugh and not a mocking one I still felt the blush heighten across my cheekbones. "Sing for you? That's it? I don't have to clean your bathroom or re-organise the kitchen?" He asked jokily.
"No, no. That's all that I want" I smiled. "And I am sorry about that earlier… I just well… I thought I'd surprise you by not taking the whole 'slave for a day thing' in the way that I thought you were anticipating… and as I said earlier, today was probably my one opportunity to actually get you to do those things… the breakfast in bed was good though, wasn't it?"
"Yes it was" He grinned back, "though you're right I had rather been hoping you would kind of interpret 'slave' as 'sex slave'… but I can see where you're coming from, and if it had been me that had one you can just imagine all the sorts of things I might have made you do" He replied with a devilish gleam in his eyes.
I raised an eyebrow upwards, "Unfortunately I can" I chuckled.
"Well, there's plenty of time for that when you make up for today to me!" He winked. "But anyway, what do you want me to sing?"
"Surprise me"
He flashed a grin and burst out into song: "Hey, there's nothing on Earth that could save us,
when I feel in love with Uranus!"
"Jack!" I reprimanded at both his song choice and the implied suggestion behind the words. "No McFly"
He laughed, "Well you said surprise you, and I know for a FACT that you like them!" He grinned. There may be a tiny little bit of truth to his point… anyway…
"Fair enough, I'm suitably surprised" I laughed, not sure if that was all I was getting in the way of a song or not, and then he began to sing again:
"Oh yeah, I´ll tell you something, I think you´ll understand, when I say that something, I wanna hold your hand, I wanna hold your hand, I wanna hold your hand…" and continued right the way through until the end of the song.
"Better?" He asked grinning at my stunned silence as he finished.
"Much" I grinned back. The Beatles are quite possibly my favourite band of all time, and 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' is definitely a contender for my favourite song of theirs. "That was perfect."
"Good"
"I think it's about time for what you've been waiting all day for…" I said and nodded my head towards the bedroom door.
"Thank god! It's about time! I thought if John, Paul, George and Ringo can't get me laid then what on Earth will!" He half shouted excitedly as he gave me a quick, affectionate peck on the lips and dragged me up by the hand from the sofa and towards the door I'd gestured towards just a few seconds previously.