Ianto - Chapter Two
Ianto was fairly certain he explored all the firsts he could with Jack that month, usually in the privacy of their flats, although there had been the mutual handjob in the loo at the Dockside. He wanted to keep their personal life separate from work and tried hard, though sometimes Jack was all but impossible to resist. Exploring the ins and outs (and wasn't that an interesting way to think of it) of sex with a man was doing strange things to Ianto. His libido was sky high, his normally reserved nature crumbling every time he felt the other man's warm breath on his neck or heard his endearing American accent whispering filthy things in his ear.
It had been a good month, not only getting to know Jack's body, but Jack himself during those quiet moments in between, moments that were far more intimate and revealing than their talks before and after work in the weeks leading up to their physical relationship. If Ianto was willing to admit it, he could really fall for Jack. As it was, they were simply friends with benefits, keeping it casual and safe. They shagged, they talked, they had a drink after work. But Ianto didn't consider Jack his boyfriend, because…well, that wasn't what they were, was it? They were sleeping together, so lovers, perhaps, but not a proper couple.
Then again, they did occasionally go out, even if it was only dinner on a night off or lunch before the restaurant opened. But that was all, it wasn't as if they were going to movies, concerts, clubs—dating. Mostly it was a look, a touch, and they were rushing back to one of their flats, practically tearing at one another's clothes in their desperate desire for lips and skin and more. Ianto could certainly say he was no longer sexually inexperienced in any sense of the word; Jack introduced him to more in a month than Ianto had experienced in years with the women he'd dated. And he loved every minute of it.
He was enjoying their fling, but it wasn't serious. Which was why Ianto couldn't understand why something was bothering him: Gwen Cooper. When she had started at the Hub, he'd pegged her as a bit of a gossip, a bleeding heart, and a flirt. And he'd been right. It was easy enough to steer clear of the gossip given his reputation as the quiet, reserved floor manager; his life was relatively boring compared to the more adventurous affairs of the younger waitstaff. And he managed to avoid her touchy-feely moments as well, likely because she wasn't aware of his past life at Torchwood. But the flirting…that was starting to bother him, even though she didn't flirt with him. Oh, she was friendly enough, but she was slightly older and clearly not interested in interacting with him in that way for some reason. No, it was her constant flirting with Jack that was starting to grate on Ianto.
Of course Jack flirted back; he did that with just about everyone at the Hub, even Owen on occasion. And he still flirted with Ianto, sometimes in such a way that Ianto thought it must be obvious to everyone that they were sleeping together. Yet watching Gwen bat her eyelashes at Jack, laughing at his jokes and touching his arm, bothered Ianto in a way he couldn't articulate. He had no claim on Jack, but he still hated how his overactive imagination would paint pictures of Jack with Gwen, returning her advances and taking her to his bed instead of Ianto. It was obvious she wanted him, no matter how much she talked about her fiancé. Ianto wondered if she would actually take Jack up on any return advances or if she was just a tease. He wondered if Jack would ever make the offer; he and Jack had not talked about monogamy. They were safe, taking precautions because that's what men did, but Ianto had no idea if Jack was a one-lover kind of guy. He hoped so, but from the way the man talked and winked and flirted his way through life, Ianto somehow doubted it. Though he also wondered, given how much time he and Jack spent together both at work and at home, when Jack would have the time to sleep with someone else.
Heading toward the back of the restaurant during a lull out front, Ianto stopped to watch Jack and Gwen in the kitchen, leaning against the doorway as he tried to stifle his ridiculous sense of jealousy again. Gwen had a spot of flour on her face and Jack wiped it off, laughing as he brushed a thumb across her cheek. Jack turned away and missed the look of longing on Gwen's face, but Ianto saw it and watched her step forward, her hands reaching toward him, watched her open her mouth as if to proposition him. He stepped into the kitchen with a cough.
"Sorry to interrupt, but we've got a last minute reservation for a party of twelve coming in at nine. Drinks and dessert only." He put his hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels, playing at being embarrassed to have interrupted them, even though he was relieved. Gwen narrowed her eyes at him and groaned, though he wasn't sure whether it was because he'd cut into her moment with Jack, or because she now had several last minute orders coming in. Jack grinned at Ianto, the warm smile Ianto liked to imagine was just for him even if it wasn't.
"You're an angel, Ianto Jones. I love hearing that at the end of a busy night."
Ianto nodded, his heart beating faster. "I let Owen know as well. Did you have a minute, Jack? There was something I wanted to go over for next week before I forget."
Jack nodded and followed him out, Gwen's eyes boring into the back of his head. Ianto thought about tossing her a playful wink or even a smug look, but he didn't want to rub it in. What was he rubbing in, anyway? It wasn't like they were playing a game, competing for Jack…were they? No…but he wanted Jack, right then, right there. He needed to assert something. He wasn't sure what and didn't understand why, but as they passed a broom closet, he impulsively opened it, shoved Jack inside and followed, pulling the door shut behind him and hoping he hadn't just locked them in. That would be incredibly embarrassing, locked in the broom closet with the executive chef.
"Ianto!" Jack exclaimed. "What's—" But Ianto slammed his mouth to Jack's, eliciting a deep and needy moan that he echoed right back. They kissed hungrily until Jack placed his hands on Ianto's shoulders and pushed him away, albeit gently and with reluctance.
"Not that I don't love a stealthy ambush amongst the cleaning supplies, but what's going on? Are you all right?"
It was pitch dark so Ianto couldn't see Jack's face, but he could imagine Jack's eyes, full of concern yet still twinkling, perhaps a small frown playing at his lips, though more likely a smirk. Taking a deep breath, Ianto stepped back from Jack's hands and straightened his tie, then reached for Jack's chef jacket, hands brushing blindly across shoulders he knew well. "Sorry," he murmured. "Just got a bit carried away."
"I love it when you get carried away, but I thought you didn't want to do this at work."
"I don't, and I'm sorry," said Ianto. "I don't mean to send mixed signals, I just…" He shook his head, unable to confess his real motivations for cornering Jack at work. What would he say? That he was worried about whatever they had being threatened by the new pastry chef? Jack would never understand and never let him live it down. He might even end it if he thought Ianto was too clingy, too needy. "Never mind. It's nothing, just my imagination running away with me."
"I like where it was running if it always heads this way," Jack murmured, leaning closer to find and kiss him in the dark. "Maybe it'll come home with me and start running again."
Ianto burst out laughing against Jack's lips, the mood suddenly broken. That was good, because Ianto was so hard he probably would have done just about anything in that broom closet with Jack at that moment. "That's the most ridiculous pick-up line ever, Jack."
"But did it work?" Jack whispered in his ear, unwilling to back down. "Will you finish what you started later?"
"Of course I will," Ianto growled, and captured Jack's lips in a fierce kiss. He put all thoughts of anyone else doing the same with Jack out of his mind. At that moment, Jack was his. Jack wanted him later that night, not someone else, not Gwen. For some reason, that was important to Ianto, though he refused to think about it too closely.
Instead he undid Jack's trousers, pushing them down and slipping his hand into Jack's pants. He gripped Jack's cock and began to stroke him quickly but firmly as he told Jack exactly what he would do later. Reaching around Jack's arse, Ianto pulled him close and kissed him hard, cupping his hand when Jack groaned out his release. Stepping back, he reached out blindly, hoping he'd be able to find something to clean them with. Jack was breathing heavily and began nipping at Ianto's neck, his own hands scrabbling at Ianto's belt to return the favor. Ianto shook his head, offering him the towel he'd somehow managed to grab in the dark, and reminded Jack of their plans for later. He left the older man with one last searing kiss before he adjusted his trousers and slipped out the door, feeling much more secure about his immediate future.
They managed to keep it secret at work in spite of moments of weakness like the broom closet. Ianto did not want the staff to gossip about them, and Jack wanted to protect Ianto's privacy. Owen was aware, and Ianto was fairly certain Tosh suspected something. He felt bad about keeping it secret, as if he was ashamed to be with Jack, but whatever it was they had, he wanted to keep it to himself. He was worried he might be questioned, or worse, judged for moving on less than a year after Lisa's death. It was hard, knowing his fear was holding back his joy, but for now he was too content to think about it much.
Apparently they weren't as good at keeping their secret as they thought. Ianto was in Tosh's office one day before they opened, going over a new order of linens with her, when Martha came in behind him. He noticed Tosh grin slyly and nod, then Martha shut the door behind her and sat down next to Ianto. She reached toward his collar.
"Look Tosh, Ianto's got a love bite," she said, and Tosh giggled.
"I know, I've been trying not to stare at it for the last ten minutes."
Ianto was fairly sure he blushed to the tips of his toes.
"I wonder how he got it," Martha continued conversationally.
"I do too," said Tosh, even though it was clear she had a pretty good idea. They were talking to one another as if he wasn't even there, and although Ianto knew they were taking the piss, it was still mortifying to be teased for something like a teenager. Then again, he and Jack were quite as randy as teenagers, so it made a sort of sense.
He decided to meet their joking head on. "As I recall, I got it the same way one usually gets such a thing."
"How's that again?" asked Tosh, and Ianto grinned somewhat wolfishly.
"Would you like me to demonstrate?"
Point to him: Tosh blushed and shook her head, speechless. But next to him, Martha tutted.
"And what would Jack think, if he knew you were demonstrating such things for us?" she asked. Though his insides froze, Ianto hoped his face remained calm and unaffected. He merely raised an eyebrow in response.
"I'm sure he wouldn't care," he replied as casually as he could.
"Oh, so you're not sleeping together, then?" she asked point blank, and this time the bold offensive caught Ianto off guard. He said the first thing that came to mind.
"We…dabble."
"Yeah?" Martha asked, the smirk replaced by an honest smile.
"Yeah," he said. He couldn't deny it, although he wasn't sure why he'd chosen to describe it as dabbling. They did way more than dabble; he grinned just thinking about it.
"So…" said Tosh, clearing her throat and leaning forward, "What's his dabbling like?"
"Innovative," Ianto replied without hesitation. "Bordering on the avant garde." It was for him, anyway; hopefully it wasn't too bland for Jack. He had seemed to enjoy Ianto's suggestions for the stopwatch on Jack's dresser, after all. And they'd only managed to try a few; Ianto had quite a list in his head of other activities they could try with the timepiece.
"Wow," murmured Martha, and Tosh nodded in agreement. Ianto felt a strange sort of smugness as he thought about what he and Jack had got up to the night before.
"Oh yeah," he murmured, gazing at the wall as the memory of Jack's tongue and the positively sinful things it could do washed over him and sent his blood rushing south. He coughed to clear his head and focus.
"Right. Well, you've got what you wanted from this little ambush," he said. He stood up and buttoned his jacket, hoping it wasn't too obvious that he was masking the tightness in his trousers. "And we'd appreciate it if you kept it to yourself."
Martha looked slightly surprised, as if she wanted to ask him why, but Tosh shook her head at Martha before nodding at Ianto. "Of course," she said smoothly. "We'll be quiet little fangirls, Ianto."
Ianto rolled his eyes as he left. As he walked down the corridor, he heard Martha talking to Tosh in lowered tones.
"Why keep it secret? I think it's brilliant!"
"I do too," said Tosh. "But they have their reasons, I'm sure."
He wondered if Tosh would tell Martha about his experience in London. The Doctor had told Ianto that he had briefly informed both Alex and Tosh about Ianto's history. He himself had shared his story with Tosh after they'd become friends, and she had been more than understanding. It wasn't something to keep secret and hide from, it was just painful to share, but Ianto had been relieved to talk to someone about his loss. Of course, Jack had known as well—he later found out it was Tosh who had told Jack—and had eventually become his confidant. But there had been times when Ianto had talked to Tosh as well, and Ianto suspected she would understand why he preferred to keep his relationship with Jack quiet.
He passed the kitchen and couldn't resist stopping in the doorway to watch Jack work. He was wearing the grey chef's jacket that he'd been wearing the first time they had met, and Ianto had grown quite fond of the unusual attire. It fit him perfectly and with chalk stripe trousers it showed off his form—namely, his arse—quite well. Watching Jack move around the kitchen was a bit like watching a chaotic dance, but a beautiful one, and Ianto could have watched him for hours.
As if sensing someone watching, Jack glanced up and caught Ianto's gaze. He smiled warmly, and Ianto nodded before turning away, his stomach doing that little flip it did whenever Jack looked at him like that. He'd tell Jack the secret was out with Martha and Tosh later when they went back to one of their flats. He was fairly certain Jack wouldn't mind; he would probably enjoy the story of the girls' ambush quite a bit. Which reminded Ianto that Martha and Tosh were now owed some gentle teasing of their own. He'd have to come up with something as he worked.
Instead, he thought about Jack and his not-so-hidden love bite, and decided Jack needed to be marked later as well.
Author's Note:
I had such fun with Martha and Tosh giving Ianto a hard time with those classic lines! I hope you did too. I think you'll really enjoy the next chapter and the special guest star who will be making an appearance. Thank you to Taamar for looking this over, and to everyone who has read and commented!