Enjoy!

Jack could barely sleep that night. He tossed and turned in his bed in his little flat, wishing he could fall asleep quicker to make the time go by faster. Sure, he'd been on plenty of casual dates recently, but somehow, Ianto Jones felt different. Special. Eventually, Jack drifted off, but his dreams were full of perfect, creamy skin, blue-grey eyes, and a nose that curved up delightfully up at the end, accompanied by the soft melody of his gorgeously Welsh accent.

The next morning, Jack got dressed and went to work. As a veteran of the American-Iraqi war, sent home because of an injury and then asked if he wanted a position in Cardiff training some prospective soldiers in the UK, he didn't necessarily enjoy his work, but it needed to be done. He was working with four trainees in particular, all of whom aspired to eventually be assigned to a special ops team. Jack believed that all of them had what it took. Susie Costello was very sharp and good with weaponry, he had never met someone as incredible with technology and computers as Toshiko Sato, Owen Harper was definitely a good doctor and was working very hard to be a good soldier, and Gwen Cooper, his newest recruit, was strong, capable, and had a good heart and a lot of determination. Together, they made quite a remarkable team.

But today, Jack was distracted, and they noticed.

"Ooh, what's got Jack all spacey?" Gwen asked her teammates on break.

"Dunno, but his head's in the clouds today," Owen answered her.

Jack poked his head into the room. "Hey, I may be distracted, but I can still hear you," he informed them. They laughed, and he gave them all a pointed, mock-glare before walking away to let them gossip.

The day flew by, but the evening couldn't come soon enough. Jack let his team go home early, around 5:30. He could hear them giggling behind him, teasing him and asking him if he was running off to some hot date, so he told them that yes, actually, he was, and they kind of shut up and let him go.

He got dressed in his normal dark grey slacks, pale blue shirt, and suspenders, but changed his mind and exchanged it for a nicer shirt and a coat and tie. He still wore his greatcoat, though-he was never parted with it except for work. Then he combed his hair and looked at his watch. Only 6:00, he thought dismally, and passed the next twenty minutes or so playing a game on his phone before finally jumping up and rushing out of the flat nervously and calling a cab. Should I bring flowers? he thought anxiously. Or would that be a bit much on a first date? A bit much, he decided. I am paying for dinner, after all. Heart fluttering, he checked to make sure that he had his wallet with him. He did.

Jack arrived at the restaurant and got a table. He asked for a bottle of wine and settled down. "I'm waiting for someone," he told his server when asked if he was ready to order. She smiled and walked off.

A few nervous minutes later, Jack spotted Ianto coming over, and stood up. He looked stunning in a red and charcoal grey suit, his hair combed neatly, and he was blushing nicely.

"Hello, Jack," Ianto said.

"Hi." Jack fumbled to pull Ianto's chair out for him, and they both sat down. "How was your day?"

"Busy," Ianto answered. "It seems like the colder it gets, the more customers I get. And we've got some holiday specials with peppermint and the like. People wait all year for them, or so I'm told." He poured himself a glass of wine from the bottle that was sat on the table and offered it to Jack.

"Thank you." The two men sipped their wine for a few moments.

"So, what do you do?" Ianto asked. "You know about me."

"Well," Jack began slowly. "I used to be in the military."

"Not the British one, I presume?" Ianto asked, referring to Jack's American accent.

"No, I fought in the war between the US and Iraq," Jack said. Ianto nodded. "But I got sent home. Injury. Now I train special forces units here in Cardiff."

"That sounds like a lot of work," Ianto said.

"It is. But it's worth it."

Their waitress came over to take their orders then. When she had left, they got back to their conversation.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you get injured?" Ianto said hesitantly.

Jack shrugged. "Got hurt," was all he said, and Ianto didn't ask further though he could tell that there was a hell of a lot more to it than that. "What about you?" Jack diverted. "What's your story?"

"Well, I'm from North Wales, but we moved South when I was about eleven," Ianto said. "My mum and tad are both gone, but my sister Rhi and her husband Johnny and their two kids live just outside town. I opened my coffeeshop because that was what I always wanted to do as a kid."

"I'm from this tiny little peninsula on the East Coast of the United States," Jack contributed. "My...my little brother and my dad both died when I was a kid, but my mom's still alive. I'm not really in contact with her anymore, though."

"I'm sorry," Ianto said quietly.

"It's fine," Jack said, a little too brightly. Their food was brought out, and they spent the next few minutes eating and chatting.

"I have to tell you something," Ianto said after a while, somberly.

Jack looked at him warily, but nodded for him to continue. "I'm listening."

Ianto was fidgeting uncomfortably. "I was in a serious relationship not too long ago," he confessed.

Jack nodded. "Okay." Ianto's face indicated that there was more to the story. "Did he leave you?" he asked.

"Well, no." Ianto was quiet for a minute. "She died, actually. Four months ago."

Jack's heart went out to him. "Oh, Ianto, I'm so sorry."

"It's alright," Ianto told him. He seemed to be waiting for Jack to say something else, but he didn't know what to say. "Erm, aren't you going to ask 'she'?"

"Oh!" Jack said. "Oh." He still wasn't quite sure what Ianto thought his problem would be.

"I'm only bi," Ianto elaborated.

Jack frowned. "There's no 'only' about being bi, it's a full identity in and of itself."

A look of relief shone of Ianto's face. "Oh, thank God. Most people I've tried to go on dates with have been upset that I wasn't gay or straight enough."

"Well, you don't have to worry about that with me," Jack told him. "I'm omni. Well, pan is probably the term you've heard. So you're in good company." They both smiled at each other. "So...if you don't mind me asking, how did she die?" he inquired.

"A shooting. We thought she might make it for a little while, but...Her name was Lisa," Ianto said.

"A beautiful name." Impulsively, Jack reached across the table and put his hand over Ianto's. His hand was warm and shaking slightly, and he pulled away slightly before relaxing and squeezing Jack's hand. They were quiet for a minute.

"I'm at peace with it, though," Ianto said at last. "I've grieved already, and I'm alright now. So…" He glanced down at the empty plates of their finished meals. "W-would you like to see me again?"

A slow smile spread across Jack's lips. "I'd love to," he said honestly.

"Dinner again? My treat next time. Actually, I can cook. Would you like to come over to my place instead of going out?" Ianto babbled. "I mean, if you want."

Jack squinted. "Will there be coffee?"

"Jack!" Ianto laughed. "Sure, if that's what you want."

"I couldn't miss an opportunity to have some of Ianto Jones' famous coffee!" Jack insisted.

"Well, how could I say no?"

"Next week?" Jack said. "Sooner?"

"Next Tuesday evening?" Ianto suggested. It was Thursday then. "I can close shop early to cook."

"I look forward to it." Jack paid for their meal and they stood up, exchanged goodnights, and went their separate ways.

Reviews make my heart soar. Many thanks and much love! ~Clare