Torchwood: Divergence
Book Two: Adferiad
Chapter 38
Jack smiled, glad that his lover was willing to shake the funk he'd fallen into. Time to get back into the Holiday spirit.
"Dancing it is," the Captain nodded, urging the twenty-six-year-old to his feet. "And if the Rift stays quiet, we can go do some high-altitude sightseeing afterward."
"Find someplace out of the way of prying eyes, and I'll take you off the top of it," Ianto offered, going to fetch the old-fashioned radio from the office… the 'un-birthday' present he'd found for the older man the month before since he still didn't know his real birthdate according to the Earth calendar. "Or I could just stand on the top of St. Joseph's with my wings out and a sword in my hand, let you count how many church-goers faint."
"Ianto," Harkness said in an admonishing tone. "How cruel. That would be a terrible thing to do. No… if you really want to watch 'em drop, do it on New Year's Eve. They'll think it's the End of Days or something."
"Who's cruel?" the Scieron Changeling asked with an arched brow as he put the radio on the table by the couch, plugged it in and turned it on. "Let's see if there's anything decent playing."
He slowly dialled through the various stations, quickly by-passing the hard rock and metal channels that he liked but Jack didn't, skimming even faster past the country ones that they both disliked. Finally, the strains of a familiar song from the 1940's ghosted over the speaker, and the young Welshman wiggled the knob till the station came in clearly. Then he turned toward his waiting partner, who opened his arms and invited him over for a close embrace that melted into a cheek-to-cheek slow dance.
"Do you even like this kind of music?" Harkness prodded curiously, wondering if the younger immortal was simply catering to his normal preferences.
"Not so keen on some of the Jazz," Ianto admitted, closing his eyes and relaxing. "But I do like most of the classic Big Band stuff, fair amount of the Blues out of the time period, a lot of the Swing is good. Why?"
"Just curious," the American smiled. "I knew from your CD collection that your tastes kind of span the board for more current music. I just wasn't sure if stiff this old had a place in your library."
"Definitely," Jones stated easily. "Just not a lot available on CD to fill the slots. There was an incredible variety of styles and titles back then and even before. But every CD you find for those eras just has the same basic selection over and over again. I've sometimes thought about raiding this radio station… but then I worry that I'll sneak inside and find out it's run by Bilis Manger, so I don't."
"Now that's an ugly thought," Jack agreed, pleased to feel the younger man relaxing in his arms. "And so much creepier, because it could actually be true. Oh well… as long as he's not playing games with the Rift and just leaving us alone, I'm not gonna worry about it. The music's good, that's all that counts. Oh, and I do like a fair amount of more recent music, it's just harder to slow dance to."
The tune playing changed, starting out as a slow dance conducive melody, then shifting to a slighter faster paced vocal.
"No fair," Ianto complained, briefly pulling away to go switch off the radio. "That's not even from the right time period, it's from a soundtrack to a movie made in the 90's."
"Not a fan of Harry Connick Jr. I take it," Harkness grinned. "You know, Turlough swears you do a killer version of that song. Come one… let's have a nice slow dance to your music, yeah?"
"Done to death," his partner declined with a shake of his head. "Besides, I don't think you'd like to be deaf in one ear from me singing right next to it."
"I'll risk the hearing loss," the Captain half-smiled, pulling the twenty-six-year-old close and starting the gentle rocking motion he'd used in the kitchenette the day before. "Come on… if not that song, then something else we can sway to."
Ianto took a couple of deep breaths as they moved, than closed his eyes once more and let a song find him.
"Nights in white satin, never reaching the end,
Letters I've written, never meaning to send.
Beauty I'd always missed with these eyes before.
Just what the truth is, I can't say anymore.
'Cause I love you, yes I love you, oh how I love you.
Gazing at people, some hand in hand,
Just what I'm going through they can't understand.
Some try to tell me, thoughts they cannot defend,
Just what you want to be, you will be in the end.
And I love you, yes I love you,
Oh how I love you, oh how I love you.
Nights in white satin, never reaching the end,
Letters I've written, never meaning to send.
Beauty I've always missed, with these eyes before.
Just what the truth is, I can't say anymore.
'Cause I love you, yes I love you,
Oh how I love you, oh how I love you.
Cause I love you, yes I love you,
Oh how I love you, oh how I love you."
They continued their little swaying arc across the deck plates for a few minutes after the young Welshman's voice died away. The Captain's embrace tightened somewhat, and he actually shivered as his lover now whispered in his ear.
"Breathe deep the gathering gloom,
Watch lights fade from every room.
Bedsitter people look back and lament,
Another day's useless energy spent.
Impassioned lovers wrestle as one,
Lonely man cries for love and has none.
New mother picks up and suckles her son,
Senior citizens wish they were young.
Cold hearted orb that rules the night,
Removes the colours from our sight.
Red is grey and yellow white.
But we decide which is right.
And which is an illusion?"
"Wow," Jack finally breathed after his partner finished the poem by placing a soft kiss on his earlobe, then shifted to briefly claim his mouth before easing back with a soft smile. "I've actually always had a bit of a soft spot for that song, and The Moody Blues in general. But you just took it to a new level… such beauty masking so much sadness."
"And this isn't a lament?" Ianto prodded, quietly singing the originally requested 'Danny Boy' as they kept dancing in each other's arms.
"Amazing…" his lover sighed when the song ended. "That came really close to having me crying like a baby."
"It's clichéd and over used at funerals," Ianto murmured as they finally came to a stop by the table and just stood in one another's embrace. "Besides, 'Danny Boy' is meant to be sung by a female or a male tenor. My range is too low to properly do it justice."
"My guts and the pressing need to blow my nose say otherwise," Harkness countered firmly with a little sniff. "Both songs were beautiful… don't ever let anyone tell you different."
"Do you want me to try the radio again?" the Archivist in his arms asked quietly, both pleased and embarrassed by the praise.
"I'm kind of just liking the quiet and holding you close," Jack confessed with a slight smile. "You know how I am about your butt in blue jeans… and I'm getting pretty fond of the turtle necks too. Very 1970's Roddy McDowall. Definitely a winner in my book."
"Ah… I thought the one hand had wandered rather far south for dancing," Ianto chuckled, shifting to snuggle his face close to the other man's neck and close his eyes again. "Hmm… nothing like fifty-first century pheromones to perk up the day."
They stood together for quite some time, simply enjoying the quiet contact. Finally, the Captain playfully swatted his companion on the rear, pulled back far enough to give him a solid kiss, then turned him loose and headed for the office.
"Come on," he called with a grin. "Grab you coat, Barista Boy, we're gonna go play in the snow. Cardiff and the surrounding area rarely gets this kind of accumulation, so let's not waste it."
Ianto shrugged and followed, game for a little outdoor recreation while the Rift was quiet.
"Any place in particular?" he queried, donning his coat and holding Jack's as the other man fielded the SUV key fob from the peg behind the desk.
"I hear there's a closed high-rise site near Cyncoed," Harkness smiled. "Middle of nowhere, no close neighbours, and high enough for a good view of the countryside as well as a decent glide to the ground."
"I seem to recall the place," his lover smiled back. "Should I grab headsets just in case the Rift acts up?"
"Never hurts to be prepared," Jack nodded, putting his holstered Webley on his belt and refastening it before stepping into his coat.
Ianto picked up a pair of Bluetooth earcomms, keyed the system for remote alerting, and pulled his Desert Eagle from the small arms locker. Then the two were out through the big rotating door and heading for a bit of winter fun.
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AN: I did promise that the boys would get to have some upbeat time together for the Holiday…
(Sorry for posting late… monster migraine has had me down all Friday and a good part of Saturday. Hoping it's on its way out now.)
Thank you to those reading the story. And thank you to those who have followed, favourited, and reviewed. NM