Chapter Sixteen

It was Monday morning, and Ianto had just started getting the bakery organised for the day as Rhys arrived. They exchanged greetings, and Rhys came over to join him while pulling on his apron. "You look better today, mate. Have you spoken to Jack?"

Ianto looked up from where he was reviewing the day's menu on his clipboard and nodded. "He stopped by last night. We talked for a bit." He decided not to disclose the inopportunely timed phone call, where in his panic he'd tried to downplay the initial kissing incident and push Jack away.

Looking away from Rhys, he took a deep breath. "Um... I think I might have gotten myself a boyfriend."

He winced as soon as the last word left his mouth, not only at the 'boy' part, but because it sounded so juvenile and ridiculous. He also doubted that Jack would abide by such a conventional notion given his disapproval of labels. Still, he was a conventional bloke at heart, and if he and Jack were seeing each other in a capacity other than friendship, then he supposed that's what they were. At least, he assumed that was the case. He wasn't sure exactly what he'd agreed to with Jack. The man had been so earnest when he'd asked for a chance, the look on his face hesitant but hopeful, and he'd felt powerless to refuse. More to the point, he hadn't wanted to refuse. No matter how shocking and confusing this entire situation was, he couldn't deny his curiosity. Nor could he deny the intensity of the attraction or the inexplicable desire that Jack had somehow ignited in him. At the same time, he was determined not to get carried away and lose his perspective – not an easy thing to do around Jack, as he was quickly learning – or allow Jack's carefree ideals to override his own common sense. He could make a long list of the reasons why becoming romantically involved with Jack was a disastrous idea.

He forced himself to look up again and meet his friend's gaze. Rhys's eyes had widened, and an exuberant grin broke out across his face. "That's bloody brilliant!" He clapped Ianto on the shoulder, but then his jubilation was replaced with a frown. "It is, isn't it? You don't seem very happy about it."

Ianto shrugged, not ready to share Rhys's enthusiasm. "I'm not sure what to think. I'm not even sure what it is. And nothing's really happened yet." He gave Rhys a questioning look. "It's not too weird? Me and Jack?"

"No. Well, yeah, all right, a bit... but only because you were so sure that you weren't interested. To be honest, I was starting to feel sorry for the poor bloke. He's obviously been smitten with you from the start." Rhys's grin returned. "But now you're smitten with him too. You might as well enjoy it and see what happens." He suddenly looked awkward and lowered his voice. "How do you feel about... you know... the whole gay sex thing?"

Ianto cringed, and not just because talking about their sex lives was something that they'd happily avoided in the entire time they'd known each other. They'd both lost their virginity at around the same age, but other than confiding in each other that the rite of passage had occurred, they'd refrained from sharing any embarrassing details.

The notion of sex with Jack – and all the mind-boggling permutations that two sets of male body parts entailed – was intimidating to say the least. Jack was confident and self-assured, he was undoubtedly skilled and experienced, and he likely took great pride in his sexual prowess. And, to top it off, he had the stunning body of a former model. In every conceivable way, Ianto was woefully ill-equipped. He swallowed convulsively. "Terrified."

Rhys nodded with a look of sympathy. "I suppose it's like being a virgin all over again, isn't it?" It was his turn to cringe as he likely dredged up recollections of his own first, inept fumbles. "But Jack seems like a bloke who knows what's what. And he knows this is all new to you. He'll look after you."

Ianto wasn't sure whether that made things better or worse.

###

"Knock, knock."

Ianto looked up from the trays of muffins he was preparing to find Jack standing in the doorway with a beaming smile on his face. He smiled back, his chest doing a funny little lurch at the sight of the man. As always, Jack was the perfect image of well-dressed, casual masculinity. "Hi, Jack."

"Hey, Ianto." Jack sauntered over to join him. He glanced around. "Where's Rhys?"

Ianto forced his attention away from Jack and back to the muffins. "He just popped out to the bank. He won't be long."

"All alone, then." Jack moved to stand close behind him and peered over his shoulder. "Does that mean I get a kiss hello?"

Jack's warm breath caressed Ianto's ear, sending an involuntary shiver down his spine. "I'm working, Jack. Besides, didn't you get enough of that last night?"

Jack chuckled. "Not even close. You only have yourself to blame, you know. You're far too irresistible."

Ianto closed his eyes for a moment, willing his body not to react to Jack's proximity. With a sigh, he turned around to face Jack. "All right. But just a..."

The rest of his words were cut off as Jack pulled him into a deep, toe-curling kiss. Despite himself, he gave into it, kissing Jack back with equal fervour. When they finally broke apart, Ianto could feel warmth colouring his face and was mortified to realise that his legs were more than a little unsteady. Almost against his will, a wry smile tugged at his lips. "I suppose I should get used to that."

Jack grinned, looking far too pleased with himself. "You definitely should. There's plenty more where that came from." He studied Ianto's face. "You look better today. How are you, Ianto?"

Ianto struggled to stifle a twinge of annoyance. He appreciated Jack's concern, but he didn't need another person in his life that worried about him, fussed over him, and poked food into him at every opportunity. But, to be fair, he supposed that Jack might have been feeling a bit guilty over his turmoil of the last couple of days. "I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me." He searched for a change of subject. "I made you some bacon doughnuts."

Jack's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

Ianto shrugged, not wanting to analyse his motivations too deeply. "Well, I know how much you like them. Lord knows why."

Jack laughed. "I think you like spoiling me, which, for the record, I have no complaints about whatsoever. As the saying goes, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach." He squeezed Ianto's shoulder, his eyes warm with affection. Then he snapped the fingers of his other hand. "That reminds me, I've got another idea for you. Buy me a coffee, and I'll tell you what it is."

Ianto groaned. "Do you have to?"

"Yes, because I enjoy torturing you." Jack grinned again and gave him a sly wink. "You wouldn't want to spoil my fun, would you?"

At that moment, Rhys returned through the bakery's rear entrance. As his eyes landed on them, a knowing smile spread across his face.

Realising that he and Jack were standing unusually close together, Jack's hand still resting on his shoulder, Ianto cleared his throat and took a step to the side. "Hi, Rhys. I was just saying hello to Jack." He glanced at Jack, feeling his face grow warm again. "Go and sit down, Jack. Just give me a minute to get these in the oven, then I'll make our coffees."

After Jack and Rhys had exchanged greetings and Jack had retreated to the front of the bakery, Ianto narrowed his eyes at his friend. "Stop it."

Rhys laughed. "I didn't say a word. I've got to say, though, you two make an adorable couple."

Refusing to dignify that with a response, Ianto finished the task at hand and levelled another glare at an unrepentant Rhys before exiting the kitchen.

After putting a plate of doughnuts in front of Jack, he sat down and took a sip of coffee. "Rhys knows that we're... well... um... you know..." He paused, not sure what the appropriate words were to describe their situation. "Involved," he settled on awkwardly.

Jack reached for a doughnut and took a bite, chewing with his usual enthusiasm. "I kind of worked that out. I assume he's okay about it?"

"He's fine." Ianto decided that Rhys deserved a little payback. "Actually, I think he might be jealous. He has a bit of a crush on you."

Jack grinned. "I get that a lot." He shrugged as if having people fawn over him left and right was an everyday occurrence. "And not that Rhys isn't a great guy, but you're cuter. And you're single. That's always a plus."

Ianto rolled his eyes. He leaned in closer. "I don't want Rhiannon to know yet. We need to be discreet." When Jack looked like he was about to object, he added, "You said you'll be patient. This is all new to me, Jack. I'm going to need some time."

He didn't add that it would be pointless to disclose any of it to his sister if this thing between them quickly fizzled out. Given that his interest in men apparently began and ended with Jack, nobody else needed to be any the wiser unless things became serious between them – which seemed like a remote possibility at best.

Jack nodded, albeit with obvious reluctance. "Okay, fair enough." He chewed on another bite of doughnut. "But it's not going to be easy. Not when I want to ravage you senseless every time I see you. I've never been very good with the whole celibacy thing."

Ianto had to resist the urge to adjust his trousers as he wondered what it would be like to be ravaged senseless by Jack. He was shocked to realise that the prospect was rather thrilling. "I think it's going to be a while before I'm ready for that side of things." He glanced around to confirm that there weren't any prying ears nearby. Rhys was serving a couple of customers at the counter, but they were well out of earshot. He studied Jack curiously for a moment. "It's... er... it's been a while, has it?"

Jack seemed to consider his response. "Not that long. A couple of months give or take. Although, I have to admit, it feels like longer." He shrugged. "I'm not going to deny that I've got a healthy libido. Some might even say too healthy."

Ianto raised an eyebrow. "But not you?"

Jack looked amused. "No. Not me. Besides, I've never been much of a fan of self-denial." He gave Ianto a questioning look. "What about you, Ianto?"

Ianto frowned, wondering how forthcoming he wanted to be with Jack. "Do you mean since Lisa?"

Jack nodded and continued eating.

"Just one." Ianto took a sip of his coffee. "While I was living in Paris, I had a bit of a fling." He gave Jack a sheepish smile.

"Really?" Jack leaned closer, his interest obviously piqued. "What was she like?"

"Her name was Gabrielle. She was a few years older than me. She was lovely. Very, er... free-spirited." Ianto smiled to himself at what had been one of the happier times in his life in recent memory. He'd finally felt like he'd turned a corner in moving on from his heartbreak over Lisa. "She liked my accent."

"I don't blame her. All those beautiful Welsh vowels." Jack exhaled a quiet sigh, his eyes losing focus for a moment. "I could spend hours happily listening to you read from the phone book."

Ianto resisted the temptation to roll his eyes again. "You don't need to keep flattering me, Jack."

"Maybe I enjoy it. Besides, I think you do too. You deserve to be appreciated, Ianto." Jack finished off his doughnut and resumed drinking his coffee. "How long did it last?"

Ianto stared into Jack's eyes, warmed by the affection he found in their blue depths. Despite all of his confusion, doubt and turmoil, he was fairly certain that he didn't have anything to prove to Jack. And he wondered if, being with Jack, it might even be possible to feel that he was good enough.

Since achieving adulthood, he had struggled to escape the shadow of his poor, council estate upbringing, wanting a different life and despising the weak, unhappy adolescent he'd once been. Rhiannon and Rhys had always seemed happy enough with their lot in life, but he'd always been different and unsatisfied. With each of his girlfriends in the past – and the list wasn't a long one – he'd wanted to be better than he was. More sophisticated, classier, confident, more interesting, more outgoing. Ironically, more like Jack. It had taken the breakup with Lisa to make him realise that it was a futile and pointless endeavour. Nonetheless, those old insecurities lingered and sometimes resurfaced, as they had the other night when they'd encountered Lisa and her fiancé.

It was different with Jack. Jack seemed to genuinely respect him – admired him, even – and wanted him in his life. It was a heady, liberating feeling, and it occurred to him that perhaps he was too fixated on Jack's gender and not on the person beneath the masculine exterior. The physical attraction he felt for Jack was real and intense, but it was more than that. There was a deeper pull, a sense of connection. He wondered if Jack was right about it being a case of meeting the right person at the right time – that meeting Jack had awakened some latent part of himself that he'd never known had existed until now. All things considered, he supposed it wasn't an entirely unreasonable explanation.

Jack was watching him with an expectant expression, a hint of a smile playing across his lips. It took Ianto a moment to remember Jack's question and put it into context. "A few months, on and off. It wasn't serious. But after Lisa, I wasn't looking for anything serious again. At least, not so soon. Anyway, I knew I'd eventually be coming back to Wales."

Jack nodded. "I've had the odd holiday fling. They're not without their appeal, and knowing there's an expiry date can be liberating." He gave Ianto a soft smile. "I'm glad you weren't alone while you were away."

Ianto replied with a mild shrug. "It was nice. Uncomplicated. I suppose it was what I needed at the time." He paused to take a sip of his coffee. "There hasn't been anyone since I came back."

"Lucky for me. Otherwise I might have had my work cut out with beating off the competition." Jack's tone was serious, but there was a flicker of mischief in his eyes.

Ianto couldn't help a chuckle at the absurd mental image. "Well, you seem to be a man who enjoys a challenge. You're very persistent, I'll give you that."

"Just one of my many charms." Jack reached for the second doughnut. "So... are you ready to hear my idea?"

Ianto sighed. "All right. As long as there isn't any bacon involved. Or any other form of meat for that matter."

"Don't worry, your delicate sensibilities are safe. Okay, so here it is." Jack paused for what was obviously intended to be dramatic effect. "Peanut butter and white chocolate cheesecake."

Ianto blinked. He'd been expecting something far more outlandish. "Oh." He thought about it for a moment, considering the possibilities. "Actually, that doesn't sound too bad. Peanut butter is popular... it's a classic. Rhiannon can't get enough of the stuff. Rhys loves it too."

Jack gave him a triumphant look. "There you go. And almost everyone likes cheesecake and chocolate. It's a winning combination."

Ianto held up his hands in a gesture of defeat. "Fine, you've convinced me. Let me see what I can come up with."

"Good man." Jack proceeded to devour the second doughnut while Ianto watched with equal parts of fascination and horror.

"Mmm. That was delicious." Jack grinned as he wiped his mouth and fingers with a paper napkin, scrunching it up before putting it on the now empty plate. He took a deep breath, his grin replaced by an uncertain smile. "Remember when this started? I asked you a question. After last night, I'm hoping that if I ask it again, I might get a more favourable answer this time. What do you think?"

Ianto frowned in confusion until he realised what Jack was talking about. He swallowed against the sudden dryness in his throat. "I think you'll have to ask to find out."

Jack responded with a solemn nod of his head. He studied Ianto for a moment, and Ianto was again touched by the sudden bashfulness in this usually supremely confident man. "Ianto Jones, will you go on a date with me?"

Just like the last time, there was only one answer. A different answer, but one answer nonetheless. An answer that, this time, perhaps wasn't ruled entirely by his head.

Ianto smiled. "Yes... yes."