Chapter Nineteen

Ianto spent the following day in a kind of daze. He climbed wearily out of bed at four-thirty as usual, made himself an industrial-strength cup of coffee, showered, shaved and dressed, and forced down a bowl of cereal. Standing at the bathroom mirror as he knotted his tie, he stared at his reflection for a solid couple of minutes, trying to find some outward sign of the changes occurring within him. He could find nothing different – just the same vague sense of dissatisfaction that he usually experienced when he indulged in a moment of vanity.

Rhys interrogated him first thing, wanting to know everything about his evening with Jack. He kept his report succinct and without too much detail, not sure that he was ready to talk about it. Then he went about his day as usual, baking, making coffee, serving customers and performing the myriad tasks he did every day to ensure the bakery ran smoothly and efficiently. He enjoyed the routine, and he liked the satisfaction that came with systematically checking off the seemingly endless list of tasks on his mental to-do list. For the most part, however, his mind was somewhere else entirely.

The date with Jack hadn't been anything like he'd expected, not that he'd actually had any idea what to expect. Jack, to his credit – and a little to Ianto's surprise – had found a beautiful, picturesque location and had even managed to locate a restaurant that not only served up excellent food, but prided itself on supporting local suppliers, just like he did at the bakery. Jack had been attentive and charming, and the evening had been undeniably romantic, despite his nerves almost getting the better of him. The restaurant hadn't been overly crowded or busy, much to his relief, but for the first part of the meal he'd struggled against the urge to look around for judging glances or murmured whisperings of disapproval. He'd had to remind himself repeatedly that most people were too wrapped up in their own lives to be worried about anyone else. The wine had helped, and eventually he'd relaxed enough to enjoy himself. Jack's outrageous stories had been a welcome distraction too.

Then, as they'd stood side-by-side on the pier after dinner, hands clasped together, it had finally dawned on him that he could develop genuine feelings for Jack. In fact, he wasn't entirely sure that he hadn't already. It shouldn't have been a surprise – after all, the point of going on a date was to see if their relationship could become something more than friendship – but he supposed that a part of him still considered this to be some kind of aberrant, passing phase. At least, until last night. Now, in the cold light of day, the entire experience felt strangely surreal, and yet he could scarcely seem to think about anything else. Nor could he deny that he'd almost been disappointed when the evening had ended on his doorstep with Jack giving him a hug and a brief, almost chaste kiss on the lips before bidding him goodnight. He would have quite liked a proper toe-curling, breathless, embarrassingly weak-at-the-knees kiss – the memory of that aggressive, hungry kiss when Jack had barged into his flat a week ago still sent shivers down his spine – but Jack had apparently been determined to play the part of the perfect gentleman.

"Hello? Anyone at home in there?"

Ianto blinked and realised that Rhys was waving a hand in front of his face, complete with a knowing, cheeky grin. He looked down at the cheesecake mixture he'd been preparing – a test run of Jack's peanut butter and white chocolate concoction – before he'd stopped to stare into space. "Sorry, Rhys. What did you say?"

Rhys shook his head. "Doesn't matter." He gave Ianto an enquiring look. "So, no Jack today?" His grin returned. "Hope you didn't scare him off."

Ianto rolled his eyes. "He's working on a photography job. But he's going to be here tomorrow to help out. He's convinced that we're going to have a stampede on our hands."

"Well, you never know." Rhys shrugged. "It would be bloody brilliant if we did. Either way, we'll have to make sure we've got enough baking ready, just in case. That's nice of Jack to offer to lend a hand. He's a top bloke." He retrieved a spoon and tasted the cheesecake mixture. "Mmm, that's really good. So, tomorrow, then... what's the plan?"

With his mind elsewhere, Ianto realised that he hadn't given it much thought, and being the pessimist that he was, he intended to keep his expectations firmly in check. Martha had sent him a proof of the article earlier in the week and she'd done a brilliant job, complimenting the bakery's product range, quality and welcoming atmosphere, giving a little background on the three of them, and citing Ianto's Parisian training and their support of local suppliers. Combined with several of Jack's photos, he couldn't have asked for a better advertisement of what Myfanwy's had to offer.

Martha had suggested including a special offer for the day, and he'd reluctantly agreed to a buy-two-get-one-free deal on coffee and pastries for anyone who mentioned the article. He didn't like giving products away, but it was only for one day and he supposed it would be worth the outlay if it helped to bring in new customers. As Rhys had said, they'd need to be well-prepared.

After the bakery was closed for the day and they'd finished cleaning and ensured everything was ready for tomorrow, they headed to the pub for a pint. Rhys seemed at a bit of a loose end and in no hurry to go home, so they went back to Ianto's flat, ordered a pizza and knocked back another round of beers as they chatted and ate.

Rhys became engrossed in a mindless action film on the telly, while Ianto caught up on paperwork. His phone pinged with an incoming text message just as he was finishing up, and he couldn't quite stop his smile when he found that the message was from Jack.

Shoot ran late & was exhausting. Looking forward to being your slave for a day again tomorrow. ;-) See you bright and early, J.

Almost despite himself, Ianto felt his smile grow wider.

###

"It's a bloody madhouse out there. Jack says there are even people lined up down the street. At this rate, we're going to be fighting them off with a pole."

Ianto looked up from where he was retrieving another batch of mini cheesecakes from the refrigerator and took in Rhiannon's harried expression. The four of them had been run off their feet for the last three hours, and there seemed to be no end in sight. Although at this rate, their supply of pastries and coffee would be depleted well before closing time. He'd only just managed to get another batch of muffins into the oven so that they'd have something left for any stragglers later in the day. He hated the thought of turning people away, and if that happened, they likely wouldn't come back again.

He chuckled at the mental image of the four of them fighting back the hungry hoards. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that." He shrugged. "At least it's a nice day and it isn't raining."

"It's exciting, though, isn't it?" Rhiannon frowned at him. "You must be pleased. It's always hard to tell with you, but you have to be."

"Of course I am, Rhi." He didn't add that time would tell as to how the day's siege translated into ongoing business. Regardless, they were doing their best and handing out flyers to everyone who came in, hoping it would encourage people to return and try some of their other offerings.

"Here, let me take those." Rhiannon took the tray of cheesecakes from his hands before he could protest. "Johnny's here. He wanted to see how we're getting on. He's been talking to Jack. His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw him. I told him how gorgeous Jack is, even showed him the photos of Jack online, but it's not the same as seeing him in person. Come on, come and say hello."

Ianto stifled a groan and reluctantly followed in his sister's wake. The day was proving to be stressful enough without adding Johnny to the mix.

Johnny was standing at the end of the counter and watching with obvious interest as Jack finished serving a young couple. The contrast between the two men was startling. Johnny, with his stout build, short, curly blond hair and unremarkable features, looked all the more ordinary when compared to Jack's striking presence. To be fair to Johnny, though, most people looked ordinary when compared to Jack. Meanwhile, Rhiannon quickly arranged the cheesecakes in one of the display cabinets and returned to the fray, helping Rhys with the next of the waiting customers.

Just as Ianto was about to join them, Jack turned and smiled at him, the warmth in his blue gaze causing Ianto's stomach to do an odd little flip. "Here he is. I've just been talking to your soon-to-be brother-in-law." Jack gave him a look which he decided to interpret as part humour and part condolences.

"Aye, aye, Ianto." Much to Ianto's dismay, Johnny greeted him with one of his customary bone-crushing hugs. When he finally let go, he looked around the bakery. "So, this is all right, isn't it? Brilliant turnout. Rhi showed me the newspaper article and said it's all thanks to Jack here."

"Yes, that's right. One of Jack's friends wrote the feature." Ianto tried to smile graciously. "Good of you to stop by, Johnny. How are you? Fancy a coffee? Something to eat?"

"I'm good, thanks. Yeah, I reckon I could go for a bit of a snack." Johnny peered at the nearest display cabinet and pointed. "Oh, what are those?"

Ianto had to stifle another groan as Jack answered Johnny's question. "Maple-glazed bacon doughnuts. Trust me, Johnny, they're delicious. Want to try one?"

Johnny agreed with enthusiasm, the word 'bacon' apparently the only thing that he needed to hear. The man who Rhys was serving must have had his ears pricked, because he asked for one as well.

Entrusting Jack to look after Johnny, Ianto was about to get back to work when the speculative look that Johnny was giving Jack stopped him short. One of Johnny's more notable flaws was the lack of a verbal filter, causing him to blurt out whatever he was thinking, no matter how crass or inappropriate. Rhiannon never seemed to mind, but Johnny's comments had offended Ianto's sense of propriety on more than one occasion. Apart from having nothing in common except their nationality, it was one of the reasons why he tried to have as little to do with Johnny as possible. He braced himself for whatever was about to come out of the man's mouth next.

"Rhi told me how you used to be a model, Jack. Even showed me some photos on the internet." Johnny continued to study Jack, his head tilted in a speculative manner. "You look different with your clothes on." He chuckled without a hint of self-consciousness. "Can't quite imagine that. Being starkers in front of a camera, the family jewels out for the world to see. Suppose it pays well, though, yeah?"

Ianto felt his mouth drop open with indignation, but he was too shocked by the image of Rhiannon and Johnny studying Jack's naked body – family jewels included – to manage a reprimand of his future brother-in-law. The fact that he himself had taken pleasure from photographs of Jack several times now made it even worse.

Jack, however, laughed it off and looked amused. "Sometimes. But it wasn't a big deal. Not for me, at least." He flashed Johnny a cheeky grin, his gaze briefly shifting to meet Ianto's. "Besides, I've always believed in taking advantage of my assets."

Johnny, to his credit, didn't appear the least bit intimidated, meeting Jack's grin with one of his own. "Can't fault you for that, mate."

Rhiannon smirked and looked like she was about to interject a comment of her own, but in an uncharacteristic show of restraint, she seemed to think better of it.

Aware of the curious looks they were getting from some of the nearby customers, and still struggling not to level Johnny with a death-glare, Ianto moved to help Rhys at the coffee machine. He plastered on a smile and got back to work.

###

"Boy, so that was a crazy day, huh?"

Jack was in the process of loading up his plate from the containers of Chinese they'd laid out on Ianto's coffee table, much like the first time they'd eaten Chinese together. Except this time, it was Ianto's treat as a thank you to Jack for helping out at the bakery. He hadn't quite gone as overboard as Jack had that first time, but he'd ordered a variety of dishes, remembering which ones had been Jack's favourites. Not that his suggestion of buying Jack dinner was an entirely altruistic act, since it meant spending more time with Jack and enjoying another Bond film or two, amongst other things.

He nodded after taking a pull from his beer bottle. "Completely insane."

"A good kind of insane, though." Jack sat back and began eating with gusto.

"Yeah." Fortunately Johnny hadn't stayed long and things had settled down to a more manageable level shortly afterwards. Martha had also stopped in to say hello and had stayed for a cup of coffee and a pastry. He gave Jack a look of apology. "Sorry about Johnny. He can be a bit of a wanker."

Jack swallowed his mouthful and smiled. "Actually, I kind of like him. He reminds me of Owen... if you imagine Owen from an alternate universe who's happy-go-lucky and hasn't turned pissing off everyone he meets into an art form." Laughing, he reached for his beer and turned to Ianto with a shrug. "Johnny just speaks his mind, that's all. But I take it he's not who you would have picked for your sister?"

"No, not really. But she loves him and they seem to make each other happy." Ianto popped a piece of chicken into his mouth. He supposed Johnny wasn't really that bad – he just lacked decorum and had the unerring habit of rubbing him up the wrong way whenever he opened his mouth.

"In the end, that's all that matters." Jack studied him for a moment, then they continued eating, chatting about the day and debating which of the remaining Bond films they were going to watch next.

After they'd finished eating, Jack insisted on tidying up, and Ianto only protested half-heartedly, the long and tiring day finally beginning to take its toll. As he finished off his beer, it occurred to him how nice it was to have someone to relax with at the end of the workday, or just in general. After well over a year-and-a-half of being on his own, longer if he included the unhappy months before he and Lisa had finally gone their separate ways, he'd been lonelier than he wanted to admit.

He turned to look at Jack as he returned and sat down beside him again. "Thanks, Jack. Not just for today, but for everything. I'm not sure I could have gotten this far without you." It wasn't an easy admission to make, but it was the truth.

Jack slipped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him in against his side and kissing his cheek. "Sure you would have. I've just helped to move things along a little."

Ianto surprised himself by not trying to pull away. He was slowly getting used to being close to Jack and enjoying the warmth and strength of his firm, masculine body. There was still so much he was uncertain and anxious about, but being close to Jack, being in Jack's arms, was something that he could now pretty much handle.

Relaxing against Jack, he exhaled a doubtful sigh. "I thought I had everything planned. I thought I knew what I was doing. But I still went into it half-arsed. I wasn't prepared for what it takes to build a business from scratch."

Jack's hand moved soothingly over his shoulder. "I'm not sure anyone really is when they start up a new business. It takes time and you were realistic about that. You weren't expecting it to be an overnight success."

Ianto nodded, supposing that Jack was right. He'd focused on what he knew best, but had fallen short on marketing and business acumen. Maybe he would have gotten to this point on his own, but he was glad he didn't have to, especially because it might have meant that he never would have met Jack.

When Jack next spoke, the seriousness in his voice had lightened into something playful and suggestive. "So, Rhiannon and Johnny have been looking at photos of me online. What about you, Ianto? Have you been looking too?"

Ianto pulled back and stared at him. "What? No." He began to shake his head, but he could tell from Jack's smug expression that his face had betrayed him. "All right, yes. Once. Maybe twice. Anyway, you said that you Googled me."

"I did." Jack's grin was sly and self-satisfied. "So, did you like what you saw?"

Ianto rolled his eyes. "Fishing for compliments isn't a very attractive quality, Jack." He sighed, knowing that Jack wouldn't give up easily. "Well, it's difficult to find fault."

"I like to think so." There was mischief in Jack's gaze, but something deeper too, something that quickened Ianto's pulse and heated his blood. Jack leaned in closer while continuing to caress Ianto's shoulder. "I like the idea of you looking at me. I like imagining what you might be doing while you're looking at me. That said, I hope you know you can have the real thing anytime you like. All you have to do is say the word."

"You... er..." Ianto swallowed and involuntarily licked his lips. The way that Jack was looking at him was making it increasingly difficult to form a coherent sentence. "You're shameless... completely and utterly shameless. You know that, don't you?" He found himself staring at Jack's tempting lips, unable to think about anything except how much he wanted to feel them against his own again.

"Yup." Jack was now close enough that his warm breath teased Ianto's skin, sparking a shiver of anticipation. "You know, you don't need to ask permission to kiss me."

"I know." Ianto took an unsteady breath. "Believe it or not, I'm not usually so inept. It's just that..." He shook his head ruefully. "A part of my head is still telling me I shouldn't want this as much as I do."

Jack continued to stare into his eyes, their intensity holding him spellbound. "And what about the other part?"

Ianto swallowed again and managed a choked laugh. "It's telling the first part it's a daft idiot."

Jack chuckled, dimples showing and amusement gleaming in his eyes. "I like that part better."

He grasped the back of Ianto's neck and closed the distance between them, bringing their lips together in a passionate kiss.