Ianto's Birthday by a_silver_story | 06 (post too large)
“Oh. My. God. How long ago did you get this reservation?” Ianto asked after they’d been seated and the waiter had wandered away with their order of wine.
“A couple of months. I was ... worried we wouldn’t be able to keep it but ... well, here we are,” he grinned and shrugged. They were seated in a fairly private spot in a corner. A rather prime table.
Ianto's eyes widened at the prices in the menu. “Jack ... I know I like luxury but ... dear God, we could finance a third world country for a year with the cost of tonight!”
“I want this to be special.”
“Because you forgot last year?” Ianto asked accusingly.
Jack shuffled uncomfortably. “It was different then ... kinda. And I was dead most of the day! I did get you a card, though.”
“’Spose,” Ianto conceded, aware he might have just accidentally ruined the meal.
“The ... er ... the fish looks nice ...” Jack attempted.
“Yeah ...” Great, thought Ianto. Small talk ... this is hardly a first date ... you bloody ruined it, didn’t you, you Welsh idiot!
“So ... um ... how’s Rhiannon?”
“Holding up okay. David's arm is healing and stuff. Mica apparently wants to marry you when she grows up.”
Jack beamed, and Ianto rolled his eyes. “Oh - and there's some problems she's having with neighbours that I think she wants to talk to me about.”
Jack raised his eyebrow.
“Not in a stalk-y ‘overprotective brother with a high-up government job’ kind of way,” he sighed. “I meant maybe just … y'know. Some advice.”
“Ahh. Okay. You’re not being very concise today,” Jack smiled, then wished he hadn’t mentioned it.
Ianto had turned a little pink again, fidgeting with the cutlery, moving his presentation plate, adjusting the position of his wine glass. “Sorry about that ...” he mumbled.
Jack decided that any answer he could give would sound panicky and straw-graspy. Why were they so awkward? Where was their usual easy conversation? He was asking about his sister and commenting on the menu, for pity’s sake!
Ianto was itching to start rearranging Jack’s cutlery, so Jack had to think of something quick before things started getting perpendicular, adjacent and scowled-at-if-moved. “I was thinking ... while driving here ... if we get a house ... what kind of house do you want?”
“Um ... how do you mean?” frowned Ianto.
“Well, detached, semi-detached, a sweet ‘lil terraced, a cute cottage. Bungalow? No stairs does sound promising.”
“I hadn’t really thought,” Ianto bit his lip. “I just ... y’know. Figured we’d see a place and fall for it.”
“But how can we see a place and fall for it if we’re not sure what we want from the places we’ll list to look at? I mean ... what do you want the house to offer?”
Ianto shrugged, secretly thinking back to the bedroom he’d visited on his first trip bouncing around his timeline, and the sound and murmur of the party on the other side of the door. He thought back,
and knew that it was an upstairs room - the window shows the boughs of a tree outside. “Not a bungalow,” he decided out loud, wondering if he’d be able to find that house, and whether or not they would end up living there and having a party with all those people around.
“Okay,” agreed Jack with a smile.
“And I want a walk in wardrobe,” he demanded, sticking his tongue out.
“If you get a walk-in wardrobe, I want a walk-in bread bin full of doughnuts.”
“Agreed,” Ianto held his hand out and they pretended to shake.
The waiter arrived with their wine, pouring generous amounts into each of their glasses. After he’d taken their order for food, he wandered off again.
“So ... how big will our house be?” asked Jack.
“I was thinking ... three bedrooms,” Ianto decided. “Our room, a guest room for when you annoy me and a Hub Away from Hub.”
“If we put two single beds in the guest room instead of that double, we could have David and Mica stay every now and then,” Jack suggested.
“Er ... yeah. As long as I get to stay at Rhiannon’s while they’re there.”
“You love babysitting, stop being so tight,” Jack said with a mock-eye roll.
“They’re so stressful. I never ... never really planned on having kids, to be honest.” Ianto began his arrangement of cutlery again.
Jack thought back to the way Ianto had clung and clung and desperately grabbed at the memory of the little baby he’d seen. Joshua.
Mentally, Jack shrugged. Some guys needed to become fathers before they realised how wonderful it was, and how much they wanted it. Freedom was hard to give up, but some things were worth it.
“It’s pretty inevitable you’re going to be a father at some point,” Jack pointed out.
“Not with you as my partner,” Ianto pointed out.
“Ianto ...”
“We’re going to hate each other for a few million years. I know. I’m just saying ... hopefully that’ll be a few centuries in the future - and good God, I’m measuring my life in centuries - and we’ll both be different people by then, and maybe ... I’ll want to try it. But not yet.”
“Oh. Right.”
“What are you saying, Jack?” Ianto frowned.
“Nothing ... nothing ...” he murmured, fidgeting with his own knife and fork. He really didn’t know what he was saying. He was still buzzing that Ianto was alive, still wanted to be with him and had proposed they move in together. A proposal of sorts, at least, thought Jack.
They found themselves talking about work and how having a separate house and Torchwood would be organised.
Jack suggested having a house built on the Plass.
Ianto suggested having a house built on Jack’s ego.
Their food arrived and they ate pretty much in silence, the food too good to disturb the enjoyment of.
“I love you,” Jack whispered, pretty much mouthed, reaching over to grasp Ianto's hand across the table.
“And I love you,” Ianto mouthed back, wondering why Jack felt the need to be so quiet all of a sudden, when normally he was ... vocal. At least by Ianto's reckoning.
“I ... I’ve got something for you ...” Jack said at proper level, reaching into his pocket. “Close your eyes,” he commanded, and as Ianto did so he pulled the gift from his jacket. He snapped open the lid, and got himself ready.
“Open them.”
Ianto blinked, realising Jack had moved, then turned absolute crimson when he saw him on one knee, offering him a platinum band in a jewellery box. People all around were looking, waiting for Jack to pop the question and for Ianto to accept or decline.
Ohmygodohmygodohmygodwhatthefuck? ran through Ianto's mind like a marquee.
“Ianto ...”
He’s planned this. From before I was a fixed point like him ... he’s planned this ... oh God why is he asking in front of people? Special Breakfast would have been enough ...
“... how about ... y’know ... you and me ...”
He’s doing this ... he’s actually doing this ... oh fuckingapeshitwankstain ... what do I say? Do I want to? I suppose it would happen eventually ...
“... getting a Civil Partnership?”
SAYSOMETHINGSAYSOMETHINGSAYSHOMETHING SAY.SOME.THING.
“Er ....” Ianto began. “Um ... ah ... well ...this was ... unexpecteh - all right. Yeah. Go on then.”
He found himself pulled into Jack’s arms and crushed close, lips finding his quickly and pulling back. There was a feel of cold on his fingertip as Jack rushed to push the ring onto his wedding finger, and he kept still to let it happen. He stared at it for a moment, kneeling on the floor with Jack, people around applauding and several women groaning in disappointment.
“No wonder you were so quick to say yes before ...” Ianto sighed as the excitement died down and they pulled themselves from the floor to their seats.
“Kinda took the edge off though,” Jack replied, pulling a little packet out of his jacket. A gold band slipped from it, and he handed it to Ianto. “Would you do the honours?” he smiled.
Ianto pushed the band onto Jack’s wedding finger.
They smiled at each other, deciding it would be inappropriate to make love right then, and deciding it was probably best to leave that until after dessert at least. Ianto couldn’t stop glancing at the band, aware of it on his finger even after it had warmed to his body, the metal still heavy on his hand. Jack was a little more used to it than he was.
Part way through cheesecake dessert, Ianto put his fork down mid-way to his mouth and gave Jack a slightly wide-eyed look.
“Gwen is not being my Head Bridesmaid!” he declared.
“... you’re the bride then?” Jack smirked.
“No I meant ... oh shut up. Besides, I thought we agreed I was the wife?” he scowled.
Jack simply laughed. “Why is she not being a bridesmaid?” he asked.
“Well, first off: I have Mica and David.”
“Yeah ... and who’s going to keep them in control”
“Erm ... the establishment?” offered Ianto. “It’s just ... Gwen thinks she’s my only friend. But she’s not - I mean, Rhys, Daf, Banana. Okay, more mates in Daf and Banana. I think I want Rhys to be my best man. I think one bridesmaid and one page boy would be enough. Though we’d probably call Mica the ‘flower girl’ - but I’m doing none of that rose petals in the aisle bollocks from America. We go down the aisle, then the entourage. The way it was invented. And no confetti, either.”
“Awww I like confetti!”
“I know. You’ll get it all over everywhere and we’ll find it for weeks. Besides, pigeons accidentally eat it and it expands inside them and they explode - stop smiling like that, it’s not a pro that they explode!”
“You’re funny,” Jack smiled.
Ianto rolled his eyes.
“Dammit ...” he said suddenly. “I’ve just thought of another obstacle ...”
“What?”
“How do we tell Rhys and Gwen that we’re A) engaged -”ohmigodohmigodohmigod Ianto you’re engaged to Jack Harkness ... “- and B) both ... y’know ... not killable.”
“Er ... we sit them down tomorrow?”
Ianto put his head in his hands.
“Yeah ... I can definitely see that going well. How selfish we were, choosing me instead of someone great and good and charitable. Like Bob Geldof. What’re they gonna do when he dies? Organise charity concerts of their own?”
“I know a few things about the future - pop stars ever solving world poverty isn’t one of them. But every little helped,” smiled Jack, reaching over to brush hair from his face.
“You done with that
cake?” Ianto asked, indicating the half-eaten chocolate marbled cheesecake on Jack’s plate, eyeing it hungrily. Jack pushed it towards him with an affectionate shaking of his head. Ianto will be Ianto ... he thought.
Ianto finished the cake while Jack settled the bill, then linked his arm back to the SUV, sliding their hands together and searching out the cool metal on Jack’s finger.
~*~
“Y’know ... I’ve had a pretty shit life,” Ianto sighed as they lay together in bed, sated once again, however temporarily. “And now ... it all seems worth it. Now that I’ve got you, and I know that ... I know that you’ve got me.”
He glanced up at Jack from his position, pretty much draped over Jack’s chest.
“And .... you’ve fallen asleep on me. Great,” he sighed. “Anyway ... finally. Something good’s happened for me, and for years and years and years no-one can tear us apart. Not even death any more. You know how happy it makes me, knowing you’ll never be truly alone?” He glanced up at Jack again, but he was still sleeping, calm and smiling, face smooth and worry-free. “It makes me very happy, Jack. I feel warmer inside. And ... y’know ... even if you hadn’t picked me, I’d still be happy. The thought of you being alone ... it always hung over me. Like a shadow. And I felt guilty because one day I’d have to leave you. But knowing you had someone - even if it wasn’t me - that would have been enough for me, Jack.”
Ianto yawned widely.
“As long as you didn’t pick Gwen,” he murmured sleepily. “I think I may have gone slightly mental if you’d picked Gwen ... dunno why ... you’re bound to fall for other people even now ... but ... not Gwen, okay Jack?”
He yawned again, snuggling down and letting sleep take him.
~*~
When he awoke in the morning, he could smell the cooking of Special Breakfast floating from the kitchen, and he smiled to himself, thinking of tie-shaped toast soldiers and boiled eggs for dipping. Hot, crispy bacon. Sausages.
No beans though.
Ianto hated beans.
He furrowed his brow as he thought back to the night of sleep he’d had, playing absently with the platinum band settled on his finger. The dreams had been bipolar, ranging from horrific to daydream. He’d dreamt a strange, lithe, Weevil-like creature had eaten Jack and Gwen, but he had dreams like that all the time.
Lured by bacon, as all men were on a morning, he dragged himself out of bed, pulled on some pyjama bottoms and went to go and sit patiently in the kitchen. Jack was shirtless and hot, which just added to the aesthetically pleasing design Ianto had chosen for his little kitchen. He’d miss his flat when he went, he realised.
“Jack?”
“Hmm?”
“Maybe would could have a little party to announce our engagement to our friends and stuff?”
Jack turned with a slightly raised eyebrow. “I don’t see why not,” he said eventually. “Oh ... by the way ... I ... I want John to be my best man.”
“John? Captain John Hart?”
“Yep. Just promise me you won’t let him talk you into getting off with him at the reception?”
“Damn. That’s one thing I’ll have to scratch off my to-do list.”
“Getting off with your future-husband’s rival? Did you borrow Gwen’s wedding day to-do list?”
“... what? You ... and Gwe - on her wedding day!” Ianto stared at him.
“Not me! The Nostravite! She thought it was me ... I found them ... alone ... peeked through the keyhole and saw myself in there ... with Gwen ...”
“Oh my God! Does Rhys know?”
“She did say there were no more secrets in her marriage when we were sat around the table at the reception,” shrugged Jack.
Ianto bit his lip. “She also never told him about Owen. Well, she did, but that didn’t count because ... erm ... doesn’t matter ...” Ianto shut himself up quickly.
“Ianto?” Jack asked accusingly. “What are you hiding?”
“Nothing.”
“I can tell when you’re lying now,” Jack sighed, the minuscule signs that he would have missed had he not known Ianto so well flickering over his body.
Ianto bit his lip harder. He wouldn’t gossip. He promised he wouldn’t gossip. Would telling his future Civil Partner be gossiping? She’d probably tell Rhys if she knew anything like this ...
“GwentoldRhysaboutOwenthenretconnedhimsothathe’dforgetonlyhedidn’tforgiveherbeforetheretconknockedhimoutandshewascryingaboutitforweeksyoudidn’tknowbecausesheonlytoldmewhenIwasaskingaboutmissingretconfromthestores.”
“Sorry ... what?”
“Gwen ... told Rhys about Owen. Then she Retconned him so that he’d forget, only he didn’t forgive her before the Retcon knocked him out and she was crying about it for weeks - you didn’t know because she only told me when I was asking about missing Retcon from the stores.”
Jack raised an eyebrow, folding his arms. “I may have to talk to her about that ...”
“Don’t! They’re happy! Leave them! And ... I’m sure she learnt her lesson ...”
“Even though she thought it was me she was getting off with on her wedding day?”
“Leave it, or I’ll tell everyone you have a blanket named ‘The Snuggles Blanket’ and destroy your tough guy reputation!”
“You wouldn’t dare!” gasped Jack.
“Would too. Your bacon’s burning.”
Jack turned back to the stove, mulling over everything he’d just learnt. How could these things slip by him so often? And didn’t Ianto realise that Retconning Rhys for such a reason counted as abuse? He sighed. At least they were happy now, even if it was a happiness built on lies.
A sense of guilt crept up over him, as he thought of all the times he’d breached twenty-first century fidelity etiquette. Even when he’d first started with Ianto - though that had very quickly dwindled, and Ianto had forgiven him. They figured what with a cybergirlfriend in the basement and a couple of quickies behind a nightclub and maybe a one night stand or two, they were even on some plane. All in the past, he decided. And so were Gwen’s mistakes. Right now he was going to concentrate on Ianto, and Ianto's family.
“So ....” grinned Ianto. “Am I coming back to work today?”
“What about your coffee shop?” Jack pouted.
“I’ll get a coffee machine for the Hub - oh no wait! There is one!” Ianto mock-facepalmed.
“Fine,” grumbled Jack. “Maybe another life. You can come back to work today - but you’re training Andy up on how to use the Archives. If one of you ever gets taken sick, me and Gwen need backup because we. Are. Useless.”
Ianto smiled affectionately. “I know,” he said. “But I love you anyway.”
The End
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