Part Two
The Rift cooperated, and the Weevils went back to the sewers, and not one alien race decided to invade from outer space. It looked like New Year's Eve might be uninterrupted after all. Ianto went down to the archives for a few quiet hours alone, because he didn't feel like seeing anyone and answering more questions. In particular, he didn't want to see Jack.
They'd hardly spoken all day. Jack had spent a good part of the morning on the phone, and most of the afternoon chasing Weevils, and then had gone out on his own without telling anyone where he was going. After talking to the others and dealing with their reactions to his lack of plans with Jack, Ianto had started to resent the fact that Jack hadn't said anything to him about New Year's Eve. He hadn't mentioned going out, hadn't asked Ianto to join him, nothing. Ianto half wondered if Jack had left early and was already at the hotel, tucked away in his luxury suite with whomever he was spending the night with. Especially when Jack texted Tosh and told them all to go home for the night.
Normally Ianto would wait and finish his work around the Hub, picking up and shutting down, so that when Jack returned they'd be free to do whatever they wanted— play a round of naked hide and seek, go out to dinner, head back to Ianto's flat. But when he came upstairs, Ianto decided he didn't want to wait this time. If Jack wanted him to stay, he should have texted Ianto, not Tosh.
The others looked at him with barely disguised pity, which only increased his resentment and disappointment. Tosh and Gwen actually helped him clean up, and Owen set the alarms, and they all walked out together. Ianto found that as soon as he was in his car and driving away from the Hub, he felt marginally better. He'd take a quick shower before walking over to The Silver Quill, where he would relax with a couple of pints of beer until midnight and not worry about whatever Jack was doing. Sorted.
Letting himself into his flat, Ianto was surprised to find the kitchen light on. He was fairly certain he'd turned it off when he'd left that morning; in fact, he didn't remember even stopping in the kitchen before hurrying to work. Taking out his gun, he moved around the flat, that odd feeling of someone having been there prickling at the back of his neck. He couldn't pinpoint anything out of place, and yet he still felt like someone had been there, walking around and moving things. He checked all the rooms, the closets, even behind the curtains, but there was no other sign of an intruder other than one light and his gut instinct.
Shaking his head at his paranoia, he nevertheless locked the front door before he went to the bathroom to clean up. And he kept his gun with him as well, setting it on the toilet and laughing at himself. He showered and shaved, then pulled on dark jeans and grabbed his favorite pullover from the closet. Once again he had the feeling that someone had been in the flat, rummaging through his things, but he set it aside, determined to enjoy a normal night. He grabbed his wallet, watch, and mobile, slipped on boots and leather coat, and left the flat, making sure all the lights were off.
The short walk to The Silver Quill cleared his head enough that when he walked in, he was ready to put the day behind him. He checked his mobile, sending Tosh a quick text to tell her that yes, he'd gone out and wouldn't be coming by, then set it to vibrate and slipped it into his coat pocket as he ordered his first pint and sat down, determined to enjoy his night.
The pub was busy, but he recognized a lot of the people as the regulars he'd come to know over the months since he'd first come in for a drink. He'd moved into a new flat while Jack had been gone, and though he didn't spend as much time at the pub now that Jack was back, he still stopped in at least once a week. Cerys and David were in a booth with Josh, Marc, and Sara; Aidan was tending bar; several friendly blokes were playing pool; and at a nearby table, Jake, Cadi, and Gareth were waving him over, so Ianto joined them.
It didn't take long to relax. The pub was crowded and noisy, but it was also warm and comfortable. He had another pint, talking and laughing with people he'd started to consider more than acquaintances if not actually friends, before Jake and Cadi pulled him up for a game of pool. They paired him with a new friend of theirs, Samantha; she was an experienced player, and she and Ianto took a quick lead. Taking a break before starting the second game, Ianto glanced up and about froze in place when he saw a familiar face at the bar, watching him with a look that Ianto couldn't quite read, but thought was surprised, sad, and affectionate all at once.
He stuttered an apology to Jake and made his way over to the bar, where Jack was nursing a scotch as he watched Ianto approach. Motioning to Aidan for another pint, Ianto pulled up a seat next to Jack, not sure what to say.
"Hi," he said. "Fancy meeting you here." It was incredibly lame, but also true, and there was an awkward tension between them that Ianto wasn't sure how else to address.
Jack smiled, small but crooked as he glanced down into his drink. "Seemed like a good place to have a drink, ring in the New Year."
"It is." Ianto took his pint and thanked Aidan, who definitely looked curious, before turning back to Jack. "I thought you had plans for tonight."
"I did," said Jack. "I didn't realize you did, too."
"I didn't," Ianto replied. "Not really."
"You left early," Jack said, swirling his glass.
Ianto shrugged and took a long pull. "I left with the others. I didn't have any reason to stay." Jack glanced up with a hurt frown. "The Weevils were back in the sewers, the Rift was quiet, and you'd already left without a word, so yes, I went home. And I decided I didn't feel like spending New Year's Eve alone so I came down here for a few hours." He knew he sounded defensive, but he couldn't help it.
Jack sighed and ran a nervous hand through his hair before he glanced around and leaned closer to Ianto. "Look, I'm sorry I left without saying anything this afternoon, but I wanted to surprise you."
Ianto blinked. "I don't understand. Surprise me with what?"
"I went over to your flat and packed an overnight bag this afternoon," Jack said. "I thought you'd still be at the Hub when I got back so I could surprise you and take you out for the night."
"Okay," Ianto replied, setting down his pint and filtering through the dozens of questions that immediately came to mind. "First of all, how did you get into my flat?"
"I used the key you taped to the top of your mailbox," Jack replied. "In case you ever got locked out or had an emergency."
"How did you get in my mailbox?" Ianto asked.
"I nicked the key when you were in the archives," Jack said.
"Why not take the key to my flat?"
"Because you would have definitely noticed that."
Which was certianly true. He'd been too distracted to stop for his mail when he'd got home, so he hadn't noticed the smaller key missing. What was more surprising was that Jack had thought of it, and why.
"You left the kitchen light on," Ianto said.
"Sorry." Jack grinned sheepishly. "I grabbed that bottle of wine we didn't get to open at Christmas."
"Right." Ianto shook his head. "I thought someone had been there, but I couldn't figure out what it was."
"I packed your toiletries from the Hub, but needed some more clothes, a nice suit for dinner…" He trailed off, probably at the look of disbelief on Ianto's face. "I'm sorry I went through your things."
"No, it's fine," said Ianto. "It's not that, it's just…I still don't understand why you would do all that. I thought you were spending the night at St. David's."
"How did you know that?" Jack asked in surprise.
"I know everything," Ianto murmured. Someday the others would realize it and finally believe him. Of course, when the hotel had called to confirm and Ianto had answered, it had been obvious.
"Then why did you leave?" Jack asked. "I tried calling you earlier but you didn't answer. So I thought maybe you'd figured it out and had checked in on your own, but the front desk said you hadn't been there."
"Why would I go to your hotel room on New Year's Eve?" Ianto asked, turning away. "I thought you…god, what if I walked in on you with…" He trailed off, staring into the crowd until he felt Jack touch his leg and turn him back toward the bar.
"Why wouldn't you come to my hotel room on New Year's Eve?" Jack asked quietly. "That's why I packed your bag. I have reservations for dinner at half past nine, with a deluxe suite on the fourteenth floor. We could still make it, if you were interested."
Ianto stared at him, completely shocked. He didn't know what to do, what to say, what to even think. Which was when Jake and Gareth came up to them then, eyeing Jack suspiciously.
"This guy bothering you, Ianto?" asked Jake. Ianto stared at Jack, fully expecting him to turn on the charm, but Jack only offered a small smile and took a long sip of his drink, obviously letting Ianto answer.
"No, it's fine. We, er, we work together."
"Bad news from work, then?" asked Gareth. "Because you look a bit peaky all of a sudden."
"No," Ianto said again, shaking his head and beginning to smile as it started to become clear. "No, it's all good. This is Jack. Jack, this is Jake and Gareth."
They all nodded at one another, and Ianto felt the friction in the air between them, but strangely enough, it didn't bother him. Jack had packed a bag for him. Jack had found him. Jack wanted to spend New Year's Eve with him.
"So are you coming back to the game or does Gareth need to fill in for you?" asked Jake after a long moment of silence.
"Oh," said Ianto. "Um, yeah, if you could step in, then Samantha doesn't have to forfeit. Thanks."
They didn't leave, though. Gareth was frowning at Jack. "You sure everything's all right, Ianto?"
Ianto finished his pint and actually grinned. "Yeah, it really is. Actually, Jack asked me to spend the night with him."
Gareth stepped closer, eyeing Jack with a critical eye. "Gorgeous but conceited. How much did he offer?"
Jack's eyes went so wide that Ianto couldn't help laughing. Gareth flung a protective arm around Ianto's shoulder. "Because Ianto here is probably worth more than you could afford, even if he was interested."
Seeing Jack speechless was quite possibly the best part of Ianto's night so far. "It's not like that," he told his friends, shaking his head with another smile. "We're actually … er, sort of…" He glanced at Jack, who now looked amused at Ianto's inarticulate response. "Well, you know… it's not like he has to pay me to go out with him. I just wasn't expecting to see him tonight."
Jack shook his head. "I don't know why," he murmured. "It is New Year's Eve, after all."
"And someone is not very good at surprises," Ianto murmured back.
"And someone else is good at jumping to the wrong conclusion," said Jack, but he was smiling, and so was Ianto. Jake rolled his eyes at them.
"Christ, they're flirting and fighting like a proper old couple. Come on, Gareth, let them figure it out." He pointed a finger at Ianto. "You have a lot to explain later, though."
"Yeah," murmured Gareth, staring at him. "If I'd known I'd had a chance…" He shook his head in mock sadness and offered his hand to Jack. "You're a lucky bastard, you know." Jake laughed and pulled Gareth away. Ianto stared after them until Jack tapped him on the knee.
"So," he said. "Were those friends of yours and did they really think I was offering you money to sleep with me?"
"Yes, and they probably did. Though it's hard to tell with some of them, especially Gareth." He shook his head. "Sorry about that, it couldn't have been more awkward, huh?"
Jack laughed. "It was definitely not what I was expecting when I walked in. I suppose I should be the one apologizing for crashing your party, although if you'd answered your phone…" He trailed off with a smile.
Ianto patted his pockets and groaned. "It's in my coat, that's why I didn't answer. So my turn to apologize. How did you find me?"
"You've mentioned this place several times," Jack replied. "But I also tracked your phone. And I apologize for not coming right out and asking you to join me tonight," Jack replied. "But I thought it would be fun to surprise you."
"It was definitely a surprise," Ianto murmured. "I thought you'd left for the night."
"Without saying anything?" asked Jack. "You didn't think something was up, not even once?"
"Not even once," Ianto said. "I thought…well, I thought you had another date. We didn't talk about doing anything together, and you had a room booked at a nice hotel. I know you went last year, and then Owen said you'd been going for several years, so I assumed…"
"You assumed I was seeing someone else tonight?" Jack asked, sounding half surprised and half disappointed.
"An old flame, maybe," Ianto replied with a shrug. "You've spent a lot of New Years in Cardiff, after all."
Jack shook his head and moved closer. "If this were a movie, I'd kiss you right now," he murmured. "To tell you how wrong you are."
"I'm sorry," Ianto replied, feeling utterly ridiculous. "I shouldn't have assumed."
"Like you said, we didn't talk about it," Jack said. "I wanted to ask, but I wanted to surprise you more."
Ianto chanced a question. "But Owen said you've been going there for several years. Do you…do you take someone else every year?"
Jack pulled his chair closer again and laid his hand on Ianto's leg. "No, I don't. I've been going by myself for the last seven years."
"Seven years?" Ianto asked in surprise, thinking back.
"I don't like being in the Hub on New Year's Eve. Call me superstitious, but I always find a nice hotel nearby instead of celebrating with ghosts."
With ghosts…Ianto recalled something about the last director of Torchwood killing his entire team at the millennium, and Jack returning to the Hub to find them all dead. He reached for Jack's hand, uncaring of anyone around them.
"I'm sorry," he said. "Of course you wouldn't want to stay at the Hub alone. I should have asked you over to mine."
"I haven't spent the night with anyone in years, because I've never been with anyone long enough to want to spend the night with them," Jack said. "On New Year's Eve, that is. Until now. So are you interested, now that I've really mucked it up?"
"I mucked it up just as much, if not more," Ianto replied. "But yeah, I'm interested. Posh hotel, amazing food, what's not to like?"
"Don't forget the king-size bed with me in it," Jack laughed, and Ianto joined him, leaning closer.
"Best part," he murmured. "So when do we leave?"
Jack raised an eyebrow. "You sure you don't want to stay longer? I don't mind."
Ianto glanced around the pub. It was his haven, in a way, a place to escape and enjoy a normal few hours with people he'd come to like and respect. Several of them were watching him and glanced away as he caught their eye, except for Jake, who smiled and nodded. Ianto nodded back and turned to Jack.
"No, let's make that dinner reservation. We can come here any time."
Jack's smile was infectious and he leaned forward as if he was going to kiss Ianto, but stopped just short with a raised eyebrow. Ianto closed the distance and kissed him, ignoring the whistles from the nearby tables. Normally he would have been reluctant to display such a public sign of their relationship, but at that moment he didn't care. He'd spent the day thinking he'd be on his own for New Year's Eve, because Jack had plans without him. Finding out Jack had planned to be with him all along, that he'd even packed a bag so he could surprise Ianto with dinner and a night at the St. David, was not something he'd ever expected. Grand gestures were not their thing.
The kiss was quick but intense. Ianto pulled back with a grin, which Jack returned. "What are you going to tell them?" he asked, inclining his head toward the table where most of Ianto's friends sat, still watching. Jake was even waving Ianto's coat, as if encouraging him to leave.
Ianto considered. "I'll tell them you offered ten thousand pounds," he said, and Jack burst out laughing before he pulled Ianto close again.
"You're worth much more, you know," he said quietly. Ianto rolled his eyes.
"And you don't need to pay me," he replied. "Let me get my coat and settle up so we can go."
He hurried over to the table where his friends sat, all of them grinning as he walked up to them.
"So what's new, Ianto?" asked Sara, trying to sound innocent and failing when half the table burst out laughing. "Anything you'd like to tell us?"
"Not really," he replied, taking his coat from Jake. "Since you were all watching anyway."
"How long's this been going on?" Jake asked. "Since you never once mentioned seeing someone."
Ianto pulled on his coat. "About six months, actually. And it's not…well, I'm not sure what it is, but it's something. I hate to skip out on you, but apparently he meant to surprise me with dinner and a night at the St. David, only I left work in a bit of a huff before he could."
There were several gasps and cheers around the table. After a few pats on the back and several demands to get the entire story another night, plus one or two requests to bring Jack around to the pub sometime, Ianto finally escaped. His friends had been surprised but supportive, and he found he wasn't that concerned about them knowing. In fact, he felt better than he had all night. He'd enjoyed his time at the pub, but was looking forward to spending the rest of his night with Jack. And the thought of bringing Jack with him next time was actually quite appealing. .
They left the pub with one last wave to the others amid good wishes for the new year. As soon as they stepped outside, Jack took his hand.
"I'm glad you were still available," he said as they walked toward Jack's car. "I can't think of a better way to spend New Year's Eve."
Ianto squeezed his hand. "I'm only sorry I didn't say anything and assumed all the wrong things about tonight."
"It's fine," Jack said. "We figured it out, and I'm looking forward to dinner."
"I'm looking forward to after dinner," Ianto murmured. He pressed himself closer to Jack's side. "Although, maybe we'll have time for an appetizer if we hurry."
"I love the way you think!" Jack laughed as they climbed into the car, and kissed him long and hard in the front seat before he set off for the hotel. Ianto leaned his head against the window, still unable to believe any of it was really happening. He'd been so worried and disappointed about New Year's Eve, telling the others it was just another night in a vain effort to convince himself that's all it was, even when it wasn't.
Now it was much more. He was with Jack, and Jack was with him, and he somehow knew it would be a night to remember. And maybe the new year would bring more opportunities for him and Jack to spend time together away from the Hub, to live normal lives once in a while, to celebrate when they could. It was a probably too much to hope for, but they were spending New Year's Eve with one another in an amazing hotel. At least they could start the new year together.
And perhaps many more.
Author's Note:
And then much smut happened in the deluxe suite on the fourteenth flour. After Ianto texted a picture of the room to Tosh, of course. And eventually he took Jack to the Silver Quill, where they were quite the talk of the pub.
Happy New Year! Thank you for reading this short little story. Really, it was all inspired by Gareth asking Ianto how much Jack offered him to spend the night. I could see that particular exchange so clearly, I wrote a story to go with it! I hope to start some longer stories in the new year. Torchwood just won't leave me alone!
