Chapter Twenty-Two
"Never thought I'd see the day when Jack Harkness turned into a green-eyed monster."
Jack blinked and reluctantly dragged his gaze back to Owen's smirking face. It took him a moment to process Owen's words before he scowled indignantly at his friend. "I don't do jealous. I've never been jealous in my life."
But even as he said the words, his gaze shifted back to where Ianto was sitting at the other end of the bakery with a strange man and talking in what appeared to be quiet, serious tones. Despite straining his ears, the distance between their tables and the bustle of Rhys serving customers meant that he had no chance of overhearing what they were talking about. Rhys hadn't been any help either – he hadn't known who the stranger was, just that he'd asked for Ianto by name.
The stranger was far too attractive for Jack's liking. Dressed in dark jeans, black shirt and fitted black leather jacket, the man was tall, well-built, with long limbs and a chiselled, tanned face. Several days' worth of dark scruff and longish, dark, slicked-back hair added to his masculine appeal. Appearing to be around the same age as Jack, the man's attention was fixed on Ianto, his posture relaxed and confident. Under different circumstances, this was someone that Jack would have loved to get in front of the camera – preferably without the impediment of clothing – and spend several hours capturing every inch from every possible angle. He was also the kind of man who, not so long ago, Jack would have happily taken to his bed. He was not, however, the kind of man that Jack wanted anywhere near Ianto. To make matters worse, Ianto was wearing his pale pink shirt and looking his delectable best. Jack narrowed his eyes as the stranger leaned in closer to Ianto and said something which caused Ianto to smile and nod.
"Yeah, well, maybe you should have been an actor, mate. For a man who isn't jealous, you're doing a brilliant impression of one."
Ianto's gaze shifted to meet Jack's for a moment. Hoping that he didn't look guilty from being caught staring, Jack gave the Welshman a quick smile and turned his attention back to Owen.
He picked up his coffee cup, but belatedly remembered that it was empty and gave it a scowl for good measure. He growled in annoyance. "I'm not jealous. I just don't like the look of the guy, that's all." Taking a chance, he glanced across at them again. "Who the hell is he, anyway?"
Owen shrugged while still looking amused. "It goes with the territory, Jack. It's called being in a relationship. I used to hate it when random blokes gave Katie the once over. I still do, but you have to be able to trust each other. I know Katie would never stray. Ianto's a good bloke. He's not going to cheat on you."
Jack nodded, knowing that he was being irrational and ridiculous. Sighing, he scrubbed a hand over his face and resisted the urge to look over at Ianto again. Their conversation almost two weeks ago had unsettled him more than he wanted to admit, and although they'd been on an even keel since, Ianto was still skittish when it came to physical intimacy. With Rhys now living at Ianto's and the bakery busier than ever, they'd had little time alone, and Jack couldn't help wondering if Ianto was using it as an excuse. Rhys was a great guy, and Jack sympathised with his plight. He also admired Ianto's loyalty and compassion in helping his friend through this difficult time. Nonetheless, he found himself selfishly hoping that Rhys would find a new place of his own, sooner rather than later.
It still felt so tentative and fragile, and Jack had the real fear that Ianto might decide it was all too much to handle and scurry back into the safe and familiar confines of heterosexuality. Even in the relatively short time they'd known each other, the thought of losing Ianto... of not having him in his life... was unbearable. He'd never felt this way about anyone before, and he wasn't sure if he could imagine feeling so deeply about anyone else, even though he supposed it had to be possible. He had spent a few days in London the week before, and although they'd spoken on the phone during that time, he'd been surprised by how keenly he missed the Welshman. He was rapidly turning into a pathetic, lovesick fool – something that he thought he'd never become – but he couldn't help it. No matter where he was or what he was doing, Ianto was never far from his thoughts.
Owen leaned in closer and lowered his voice. "Still playing hard to get, is he?"
"No, it's not like that." Jack failed to resist flashing a worried glance in Ianto's direction. He wasn't one to kiss and tell, but he'd confided in Owen that things hadn't progressed much on the sexual front. "It's weird and scary for him, I get that, and I'm trying to be patient." He sighed again as he twirled his empty cup. "I'm just feeling a little frustrated, that's all."
Owen nodded, and in a rare show of sympathy, he reached across the table and patted Jack's arm. "Give him time, mate. If he's worth it..."
"He's worth it." Jack said the words without hesitation and with complete conviction. Things needed to progress, and preferably sooner rather than later, but he'd never doubted that Ianto was worth the effort. Ironically, all the pent-up sexual frustration, combined with that all-too-brief but tantalising taste of their first time together, only made him want Ianto even more.
A couple of minutes later, Ianto and the stranger stood up, shook hands, and Ianto accompanied him to the door. Ianto was smiling as he made his way over to them. "Hi, Jack. Hello, Owen. Nice to see you again." He collected their empty cups. "More coffee?"
"Hey, Ianto." Jack was still staring distractedly towards the bakery's front door. Realising that he hadn't answered Ianto's question, he mentally shook himself and smiled up at the Welshman. "No, I'm fine, thanks."
"No, thanks, mate. I'm good." Owen pulled a chair over from an adjacent, unoccupied table. "Here, take a load off and put Jack out of his misery. He's dying to know all about your new friend."
"Er... all right. Just for a minute." Jack shot Owen a death glare as Ianto carried away their cups and returned a moment later. He gave Jack a curious look as he sat down.
"Whoever he is, I don't like him. He thinks he's God's gift." Jack was still glaring at Owen, but the words spilled from his mouth before he could stop himself. He cringed inwardly, realising that he sounded like a petulant five-year-old.
Owen barked out a laugh. "That's rich coming from the man who thinks he's irresistible to anyone with a pulse."
"I'm not that bad. Anyway, I'm nothing like him. Plus, I'm much better looking." Jack glared at Owen again, who merely snorted and rolled his eyes.
Ianto was looking between them with a puzzled expression. He studied Jack for a long moment, and Jack struggled not to squirm under the scrutiny. Then, to his horror, he felt a rush of heat colour his face. "I didn't like the way he was looking at you, that's all."
Ianto's eyebrows lifted up. "Oh... you thought he fancied me?" He looked bemused by the notion, but then a hint of a smirk appeared on his lips. "Well, he is very handsome. Quite striking, actually." His blue eyes twinkled with amusement, and his smirk grew wider.
Owen laughed again, and it took all of Jack's willpower not to grab hold of Ianto and kiss that gorgeous smirk right off his face.
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It turned out that Ianto's new friend – Adrian someone or other – was the owner of a cafe in the nearby St. David's shopping centre and wanted to offer a selection of Ianto's baked goods on his menu. He'd heard about Myfanwy's from one of his customers and, since he was having issues with the quality of the products from the bakery he currently used, he was looking for a new supplier. He'd seen the website and had given Ianto a brief on the sorts of items he wanted, plus had expressed a desire to offer something exclusive, made specifically for his cafe. It was fantastic news, and Ianto certainly seemed pleased, but that didn't make Jack dislike the man any less.
After a few hours of working on the layout for his book project, he decided to go for a run to clear his head. He wasn't an avid runner, but he sometimes liked to mix up his exercise routine when the weather was amenable. He took a long scenic route around the bay, then, once he'd returned home, threw himself into a vigorous workout until he was exhausted and aching from his exertions. After the unnerving incident at the bakery that morning, he'd needed to recover his equilibrium, and nothing did that like pushing his body to its limits.
Enjoying a hot shower afterwards, he took himself in hand, conjuring up images of a sleek, wet Welshman pressed up against him and imagining it was Ianto's hand stroking him rather than his own. He imagined kissing Ianto with abandon, causing them both to gasp for breath and grind against each other, Ianto's hand wrapped around both of them and moving in confident, urgent strokes. Then he was trailing desperate kisses over Ianto's neck, shoulders and chest before dropping to his knees and taking him deep into his mouth, needing to taste and feel every inch of that hard, silken length. Ianto was moaning his name, losing control, begging him not to stop.
He tried to slow down and pull back from the edge, wanting the fantasy to last, but it was too vivid, too intense. His legs almost gave way as he climaxed, forcing him to slump back against the tiling while he recovered and caught his breath. Finally he regained the wherewithal to turn off the water and step out of the shower, coasting on the haze of endorphins as he reached for a towel and dried himself off. Still lust addled, he was standing in the bedroom and deciding that he should probably think about getting dressed, when he heard the chime of the intercom announcing that he had a visitor at the building's entrance.
He padded to the front door and was surprised to find Ianto peering at him from the intercom's small screen. Confused by the unexpected visit, he remained standing there as he waited for Ianto to make his way up to the flat, then remembered that he was still naked, the towel he'd been using to dry his hair draped around his neck. Returning to the bedroom, he managed to retrieve and pull on a pair of jeans before the doorbell rang.
Ianto was still dressed in his work clothes, right down to the tie neatly knotted at his neck. His eyes widened as they took in Jack's half-naked form, and Jack wasn't too proud to admit that he enjoyed the little boost to his ego, especially after his earlier bout of insecurity.
"Hey. I was just getting out of the shower when you arrived." He ushered Ianto inside and closed the door. Running his hand through his damp hair, he pushed it away from his forehead. "This is an unexpected treat. Is everything okay?"
Ianto nodded, but judging by the tense set of his shoulders, something seemed to be bothering him. "Fine. Um... sorry to stop by without calling first. I..." His eyes roamed over Jack's bare torso again before returning to his face. "Er... I wanted to see you." He gave a little sheepish grin. "Rhys thinks I'm at the supermarket."
Jack chuckled and was about to ask the reason for the secret, unplanned visit, when he found himself being manhandled and thrust up against the wall with surprising strength. Before he could manage anything more than a surprised yelp, hungry lips claimed his in a demanding kiss.
Groaning against the sudden and unexpected onslaught, but never one not to take advantage of what was on offer, Jack wrapped his arms around Ianto and kissed him back. The part of his brain still capable of coherent thought recalled the time when he'd barged into Ianto's flat and done the exact same thing. Ianto had apparently decided that it was time for some payback, and Jack couldn't have been more delighted. He tugged on Ianto's lower lip, eliciting a needy moan in response, then slid his tongue against Ianto's and deepened their kiss. Hard again already and feeling the answering firmness beneath Ianto's tailored wool trousers, he rocked his hips, grinding their crotches together.
A shudder rippled through Ianto's body, his left hand tightening its grip on the hair at the back of Jack's head as the other began to explore Jack's bare torso. Jack gasped as Ianto's nimble fingers latched onto his right nipple and teased it without mercy. Eager to feel bare flesh as well, Jack tugged at the hem of Ianto's shirt, pulling it free from his trousers. Sliding his hands beneath the fabric, he began exploring the warm skin of Ianto's back, working upwards from the dip at the base of his spine.
Fantasy was fast becoming reality, and Jack didn't think that he'd been more turned on in all his life. He couldn't have said how long they continued like this, but finally they pulled apart and stared at each other, both drawing deep, ragged breaths.
"Wow. Where did that come from?" He knew that he was probably grinning like an idiot, but he couldn't bring himself to care. "Not that I'm complaining."
Ianto lowered his eyes, then seemed to force himself to look up and meet Jack's gaze again. "After you left the bakery today, I started thinking about some things. I teased you about Adrian being good-looking. I shouldn't have done that."
Jack shook his head. "It's fine. I know you were only having a bit of fun. Besides, he's a very attractive guy."
"Yes, but... I could see how much it bothered you... the idea that he might have been interested in me. It made me realise how difficult this must be for you. Not knowing where you stand with me." A flicker of what seemed like guilt passed over Ianto's face. "I have to admit, a part of me liked that you were jealous, even though there was nothing to be jealous about. It was quite flattering. It made me feel like I matter to you."
Jack tightened his grip on Ianto. "Of course you matter to me." He wanted to say more, but the words he really wanted to say would have been unwise and definitely far too soon.
Ianto nodded, looking chagrined. "I know. I suppose I struggle to get that through my thick Welsh skull sometimes." He exhaled a soft sigh. "I don't want you to worry or feel insecure. I'm not interested in other men. I'm not attracted to other men. I don't think that's going to change. I want to be with you, Jack... only you. I want you to know that." A self-deprecating smile tugged at his lips. "And for the record, I'm not in the habit of barging into people's homes, pouncing on them, and snogging them senseless."
Jack laughed, although he was not only reassured, but genuinely touched by Ianto's words. It occurred to him, albeit belatedly, that perhaps it helped Ianto to know he wasn't alone in his doubts and insecurities... that it might help him to feel like they were on a more level playing field and weren't really so different after all. "Well, just so we're clear, you can pounce on me and snog me senseless anytime you like."
"Good to know." Ianto's gaze lowered and drifted over Jack's torso again. "You're very distracting like this."
Jack grinned, teasing his fingers along Ianto's spine and feeling him shiver in response. "If it bothers you, I'm pretty sure I can find a shirt to put on."
"No." Ianto looked up, giving a sharp shake of his head, his eyes alight with a playful glint. "I suppose I'll just have to cope." He pressed his lips back against Jack's, and then they were locked together in another heated, passionate kiss.
Eventually they eased apart a second time, both somewhat breathless again. Smiling, Jack caressed Ianto's face, tracing over a dark sideburn, along the line of his jaw and down to the edge of his chin, enjoying the slight coarseness of a day's growth of stubble against his fingertips. "Perhaps we should move somewhere a little more comfortable?"
Deliciously flushed and dishevelled, with his hair mussed, shirt untucked and tie askew, Ianto nodded.
Jack would have loved to take Ianto to bed, but he wasn't sure if they were ready for that yet, regardless of what they ended up doing together. So he decided that the sofa was a less intimidating option while still allowing for any number of interesting possibilities.
Stealing another kiss, he took hold of Ianto's hand, and they moved further inside.