Kisses
December 31st, 2006
23:58
Tosh blinks as the bright light of the fireworks over Cardiff Bay explode white against the velvet black of the sky. A whoop goes up from the crowd, cheers proclaiming the wonder of the starry constellations above. Her scarf is wrapped tightly around her neck, keeping out the cold that comes in from the bay. Clapping her gloves together, she tries to gain some heat as the crowd wait for the countdown to the New Year.
She grins nervously over at Owen who winks raucously at her. He slings his arm around her shoulder, and a million butterflies stir in her stomach.
“Happy New Year, darling,” he whispers drunkenly in her ear. The countdown begins somewhere behind them but her eyes are on his, and after a moment her lips are on his too and then there’s a call to welcome in new beginnings, and nothing else matters.
------
“Couldn’t get the new guy, what's-his-name, Ianto, out of the base eh, Jack?”
Jack offers Suzie the most sarcastic grin her can afford and looks ahead, toward the explosions of light across the water. Owen’s draped over Tosh amidst the celebrating couples. Jack rolls his eyes.
“Now, now, Jack. We aren’t getting bitter, are we?”
“Never, my dear Costello. Next year we’ll be stood here with some dashing Torchwood member who can’t take her, or his, eyes off me.”
“There’s always Ianto for that, Jack.”
“I wish.” He turns to his second-in-command, determined to change the subject. “Would you accept a kiss to bring in the new?”
“My dear captain, I’d be delighted.”
Jack offers her a peck on the cheek as a clock chimes twelve over a sea of excited on-lookers.
“Here’s to the New Year,” she whispers, but there’s something odd in her voice that makes Jack’s smile falter. “May it bring new achievements and surprises.”
Jack looks out across the midnight-lit bay, arms folded across his chest, coat flapping around his legs in the bitter breeze.
“Not too many of them, I hope,” he says softly, but the cold smile in Suzie’s eyes tells him that not all of his wishes for the New Year may come true.
------
“One ham and pineapple and one meat feast, just like always.”
Ianto places the pizza boxes down on the table and smiles lovingly at the woman beside him.
“The pizza girl’s nice. Not too scary. Remember that one around the corner from Paddington? Terrifying, she was.” He smiles again. “They all seem nice here.”
He takes a bite of his pizza and places it down on the table once more. “Comfortable? Sorry it was a bit of a bumpy journey but we’re here now. It’s a nice place here.” Bringing a chair over, Ianto sits down beside the woman and wipes his pizza-covered fingers on a handkerchief that he pulls from his breast pocket.
“They don’t know about you yet,” he says quietly, stuffing the stained hankie back into his pocket, “but they will one day. I’ll tell them. I just… I need to give it time. I’ve only been here a week. They’ve got to understand you’re just like us, aren’t you? They’ll understand. You wait. They’ll see.”
From his pocket, Ianto removes a tarnished old pocket-watch, a present from the captain after he’d managed to stop the pterodactyl from escaping on his fourth day. Holding it towards the light, Ianto tilts it until he can read the time. Faintly in the background, he can hear revellers above the hub ringing in the New Year.
“Happy New Year, beautiful,” he whispers, kissing Lisa on the forehead gently. She’s still asleep, still sedated after the move into the Torchwood Three basement. Ianto sits back down in his chair and eats his pizza in silence, trying to stop the tears from falling and praying that the New Year will be better than the old.
December 31st, 2007
23:56
“These are my work mates, this is Tosh and Jack, Ianto and of course Owen.”
“Oh ey? Nice to meet you,” says Rhys, shaking hands with each one in turn, frowning as he gets to Owen. “Owen, is it? Sounds familiar.”
“Ah yes, I wouldn’t worry about him.” Gwen quickly steps in, just as Owen’s giving Rhys a cocky smirk. “Bit of a wanker really.”
“Gwen, he’s just by there!”
“Oh, don’t worry about it. He’s used to it.”
Tosh watches Gwen pulls Rhys into the crowds, slightly set apart from the Torchwood Team. Ianto and Jack give each other identical looks before looking off in separate directions. Tosh can’t be sure, but if she didn’t know better she’d think that Ianto was trying his best not to laugh. Meanwhile, Owen stands beside her, wearing a face like an old maid.
”Bitch,” he says simply, watching Gwen and Rhys kiss on the far side of the pier. The countdown’s begun for the New Year. Gathering her nerve, Tosh smiles at Owen and places a hand on his shoulder.
“Happy New Year, Owen. Fancy a kiss?”
“From you? No thanks. I’d rather celebrate my year in style, if it’s all the same to you.”
Tosh nods and summons a smile, but her eyes sting and her throat feels suddenly itchy. “Right, good. Of course. Right.” She stares down at the wooden slats of the pier and listens as everyone around her cheer, and she’s grateful because it means that no one pays any attention to her when she cries.
------
“It’s funny, you know.”
“What is, Sir?”
“Well I was stood here, right here, this time last year talking about you.”
“You were, Sir?”
“Hmm. I was told that this year I’d have a handsome female to welcome the New Year in with me.”
“My lip gloss is in my desk, sir.”
Jack laughs. “Fancy a kiss, Ianto?”
“Receptionists only kiss their bosses at Christmas parties, or so I’ve heard.”
“Close your eyes and pretend.”
Ianto’s smile presses against Jack’s lips for an instant before he pulls away, blushing furiously.
“Well I’m glad you enjoyed that as--” Jack’s smile fades as he looks passed Ianto. Ianto cocks his head in question before turning to follow Jack’s gaze. Tosh stands in the crowd of on-lookers, and even in the dim light he can see the pale tear-trails that run over soft cheeks. Ianto feels his throat get dry as he sees Owen in the background, snogging some bird with bleached hair and too much cleavage on show to be healthy. She’ll catch her death of cold! thinks Ianto, before considering what Jack’s done to his male instincts.
“Hey, Tosh?” he asks softly. He looks away briefly as she dabs at her eyes.
“The bright light in the dark… just making my eyes sting is all,” she says quickly, sounding like she’s developed a swift cold.
“Oi, Tosh. Fancy a peck?”
Ianto leans forward and kisses Tosh soundly on the cheek. Both her and Jack look surprised for a second, before a small smile breaks out on her lips and she throws herself upon Ianto. He only wishes that he could see Jack’s face as she clutches him in a big hug before pulling away.
“Thanks,” she says, before turning and walking away toward the Tourist Information Centre.
“Explain,” is the first word out of Jack’s mouth as Ianto turns around to face him.
“Getting in the festive spirit, Sir.”
“Is that right?” Jack’s smile is wicked and evil, and all things made in the dark places of the earth. “I want to see you in my office in five minutes, Jones. And that’s an order.”
“Yes, sir,” Ianto replies, laughing as Jack walks away briskly. Something things never change, he thinks, even if years do come and go, and with that, he looks around the crowd before tucking his hands into his pockets and heading for the warmth of Jack’s bed.