I thought I'd left the boys in the jacuzzi, but they're back, by request. So RedPaintLaugh, this is for you!
Takes place a week after Splish Splash. Have fun, I did.
Ianto gave the crowded platform a last, lingering inspection and ordered himself to stop being ridiculous. On a miserably cold evening like this, it was selfish and unreasonable to expect Jack to drag himself out when he'd probably only just gotten home, assuming he'd even left the Hub yet.
Ianto sighed and slung his garment bag over a shoulder. Lying to himself was pointless. Admitting the truth wasn't much better. He'd missed Jack desperately the whole week he'd been away, and he was hurt that Jack hadn't come to meet him.
Ianto told himself firmly that he was being stupid, but it didn't work any better than the dozen other times he'd done it since stepping out of the carriage. It was all Owen's fault. The medic had been relentless in his cutting remarks before Ianto left for London, playing on the insecurities Ianto never admitted to. The one about the tom cat playing while the house mouse was away was even quite clever, for Owen.
He hadn't said anything to Jack about his misgivings. He trusted Jack, of course he did. Ianto still choked up slightly when he remembered the night Jack offered that promise of fidelity. It wasn't something Jack gave lightly, and he'd be terribly hurt to know about the doubts plaguing Ianto, just because Owen had a smart mouth.
Ianto reminded himself that he had no reason to be suspicious, that he had in fact plenty of evidence to the contrary. They'd spoken every night he'd been away, and it hadn't been the short, duty-bound type of call so many coup…..people…. complained about. No soppy declarations of how much each missed the other, either. They weren't comfortable with stuff like that. But there had been plenty of laughter, endless innuendo, and a definite reluctance when the time came to hang up. Even the night they were interrupted less than five minutes in by a Rift alert, Jack called back later. Much later. Ianto was already in bed when the phone rang, which proved quite convenient. Ianto smiled as even the memory brought a flush of heat to his cheeks. He really was being silly. Jack had no reason to stray, not even a physical one.
Ianto shoved any lingering doubts to the back of his mind and told them to stay there as he took a fresh grip on the handle of his suitcase and headed for the exit. He was quite capable of getting himself home. That's what taxis were for, for goodness sake. The wheels of his suitcase emitted a rapid series of squeaks as he dragged it behind him towards the exit.
The sound of heels skittering on the damp paving brought Ianto's head snapping up.
"Oh good, you're still here," Tosh panted, sliding to a halt nearby, one hand rubbing at the stitch in her side. "The traffic was ridiculous, and I never realized how big the SUV is, had to park miles away." She paused for breath, and then smiled broadly at her bemused colleague. "That's my excuse for being late, and I'm sticking to it."
Ianto smiled at her, dodged the attempt to take his garment bag, and mumbled his thanks while he tried to think of a way of asking where Jack was that wouldn't sound ungrateful. And failed.
Tosh reined in her amusement as she watched Ianto struggle not to show how disappointed he was that she'd turned up to greet him instead of Jack. Poor love. Never mind, it wouldn't last long.
They chatted amiably as Tosh led the way across the brightly lit car park, catching up on the happenings of the week as they weaved their way through streams of commuters intent on reaching their own vehicles. The distance to the SUV wasn't a bad thing after all, Ianto reflected. Perhaps the bottleneck of cars choking every exit would clear by the time they attempted to make their own escape.
Once in the sanctuary of the SUV, Tosh decided she'd let him suffer for long enough.
"I suppose you've wondering why I came instead of Jack," she said shrewdly. "Would it help to know I'm about to text him so he knows we're on our way?"
Ianto made flustered noises. Tosh giggled as her thumbs danced across the keys of her phone.
"It's supposed to be a surprise," Tosh confided impishly, while they were waiting their turn at escaping from the tangle at the car park exit. "You know, let you wallow in disappointment for a while, thinking you're coming home to an empty flat. Jack had it all planned, he's even told me what sort of Rift alert he's supposedly attending. But I know you hate surprises, so….act surprised when he's waiting for you, OK?"
Ianto gaped at her. "Err….I am surprised," he confessed. "Only, I don't know whether I'm more surprised by whatever he's up to, or at you disregarding his orders."
Tosh vented her opinion on that via a delicate sniff. "It's not work, so it wasn't an order."
"And more to the point," she added, with a dangerous glint her in eye Ianto was more accustomed to seeing in Owen's presence. "I'm not letting you ruin this for him." At which she turned her attention back to the traffic, pointed the car at a gap and floored the accelerator.
Ianto concluded he wasn't going to get control of his jaw muscles back anytime soon, and simply gaped some more.
"Please tell me you like sushi," Tosh called, over the roar of the engine. "And sashimi."
"Love them," Ianto agreed. He sank back against his seat and tried to let it all wash over him as Tosh channeled Jack in the drivers' seat. The universe had obviously decided nothing would make sense tonight, and who was Ianto Jones to argue with the universe?
There were back onto quiet roads and Tosh was tired of trying to keep her face straight. She loved these two men, she really did, but between them they drove her to distraction.
"Um…why though?" Ianto asked cautiously.
Tosh shot him a sideways glance. "Because I've spent most of the day teaching Jack how to prepare them," she answered, her whole being exuding a distinctive air of martyrdom. "Why he couldn't just buy some, I've no idea. But no, first we were up with the sparrows at the fish market. Then he overcooked the rice. Twice. The second time while I was out buying more mirin because Owen thought it was sake and drank it all and Jack got distracted helping Gwen when she thought the wasabi was avocado...And that was just while we were still in the Hub."
Ianto laughed. He couldn't help it. It was that or cry.
"And so we come to setting up the flat," Tosh continued, finally letting her amusement show in her voice. "Where Jack decides none of the tablecloths are soft enough. Or the wrong shad of red. So I'm off trying to get a new one before the shops close. I've never spent so much time behind the wheel of this car as I have today, I swear. And I also swear, Ianto," she concluded, with a decidedly dangerous glance, "That if you make a single comment about any of the nori rolls not being symmetrical, I'll strangle you with the belt of the kimono I hope you remembered to bring back with you."
Ianto nodded, blinking away tears from what he'd pretend was mirth. Jack had asked him to buy one several times during the week, even told him in which London alleyway he'd find just the right shop. Ianto was ashamed to recall his resentment at the errand, only now accepting he'd been suspicious of whom the gift was intended for. And he was quite glad he couldn't decide between the red and the blue, and ended up buying both.
"I bought one for him, too," Ianto told Tosh.
She nodded approvingly. "Just make sure you tell him you couldn't decide, or something along those lines," she warned. "Don't let on you had any idea what he was up to."
"I didn't," Ianto said fervently. "I really didn't. I still don't, for that matter."
Tosh smiled across at him, a particularly gentle smile. "He really missed you, Ianto. I know he'll pretend otherwise, and so will you, no doubt. But he did."
Ianto swallowed heavily. "So did I," he admitted.
They pulled up outside Ianto's flat. This time he didn't argue when Tosh offered to carry the garment bag while he lugged his suitcase up the stairs. The lift had been unreliable just before he'd left, and Ianto didn't want to risk getting stuck between floors, not tonight.
"Here we are, then," Tosh said cheerfully. "Have a good night."
Ianto froze with his key in the lock. "Aren't you coming in?"
Tosh shook her head firmly. "Tonight's for the two of you, Ianto. Anyway, I've got to get back to mine. I've heard so much about your Jacuzzi that I've ordered one of my own, and Rhys is getting it delivered tonight."
She hugged him fiercely before she left, her eyes bearing yet another twinkle that Ianto couldn't interpret. Ianto smiled his goodbyes and exhaled deeply as his turned key in the lock. It was good to be home and he strongly suspected it was about to get better.
"Welcome back," Jack said, with an attempt at coyness which didn't have a hope of working. Ianto's eyes made a determined attempt to exit their sockets, which would have been a shame, really, since there was quite a lot worth looking at. Ianto couldn't help wondering whether Tosh helped with the geisha makeup. He supposed that would explain why she'd giggled all the way down the staircase.
Ianto also understood Jack's request for a soft tablecloth. A reasonable request, given that he was currently lying on it.
And the sushi was lying on Jack. Sushi, sashimi, and a variety of handrolls. With a patch of something that had to be wasabi resting in the hollow of his collarbone. Tosh was right, some of the nori rolls couldn't exactly be called rolls, but what did that matter? The lack of symmetry might help them stay in place until Ianto got around to eating them.
Ianto moved closer, too busy devouring the feast spread out before him with his eyes to contemplate bringing any of it to his mouth, just yet.
"You make a lovely serving platter," he commented, in a voice already ragged. His luggage hit the floor with a thump only equaled by the volume of the door as he kicked it shut behind him. This was something the neighbors shouldn't see. This was his. All of it. All of him.
"I live to serve," Jack agreed, tilting his neck awkwardly so he could see Ianto over the food spread out across his chest. "Fancy some sushi?"
Ianto selected a delicate slice of salmon from one shoulder and fed Jack the tuna roll which fell from the other when the platter shuddered in response to his method of extracting wasabi, given the lack of cutlery.
Ianto swallowed. "Very nice," he approved. "But if you don't mind, I think I'll move on to the sweetbreads."
I know, it just gets worse. :) I've already made a start of the 'offering fidelity' piece which will level the silliness factor. Hope you enjoyed.