Title: Close Connection
By: Laura
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Rating: R
Spoilers: Set a few days after Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang.
Summary: As middle-of-the-night phone calls go in Torchwood, this one wasn't an emergency or anything - just not what Jack ever expected.

Jack looked up from his secretly adored copy of Gnasha White as his phone rang. Carefully marking the priceless translation of the Calnuvagan novel he'd liberated from an under appreciative collector he frowned at the display on the second ring.

It was a quarter past three. None of the alarms were sounding, but only the team and persons of interest had his cell number. For one of them to call so late from a strange number, something had to be wrong. He slid a gun in his holster, rising and reaching for his coat.

"Who is this?" Jack answered, glancing at the clock to be certain of the time.

"Hi," Ianto chuckled, a loose open sound that didn't sound like Ianto at all. Jack stopped, his hand on his coat. "I wanted to ask you something," he stopped to chuckle again.

He'd rarely seen Ianto laugh with such abandon. Those moments usually followed wonderful games or a great night with the team. He had sent them all home with orders to have a drink and relax. Perhaps Ianto had actually listened. A cheerful thought struck Jack and coaxed out an amused smile. "Ianto, are you drunk?"

"Am I drunk?" Ianto asked, like he didn't know. This had such wonderful possibilities. "Oh, he says I'm right pissed."

"He? Who is He?" Jack asked, frowning. No one in Torchwood got smashed in public alone; that protcol had existed since before Jack started. It was about security and safety and not getting kidnapped by Who knows what and interrogated or killed.

Ianto was silent for a moment. "I don't know. What is your name?"

Jack heard a muffled voice reply. "Derek. He's Derek, Jack. Derek? This is Captain Jack Harkness. He's my boss and...ah...lover."

He could hear a man saying something in response, but couldn't make it out. Ianto laughed again. "I am IANTO. Not company ink! Well, HE wants me to ask you, if I can take off my shirt."

Jack tilted his head, considering the wonderful possibility of talking Ianto into a threesome. His lover had always discouraged the idea, but if Ianto wanted this Derek anyway... Jealousy flickered, but Jack ignored it. He had learned a long time ago that their lives were too short for him to begrudge his lovers their indulgences, but a part of him worried for his young Ianto. This was out of character. "And Derek wants to take off your shirt?"

"Well, yes. You see, he says the backrub will be a lot better if my shirt is not in the way, and see ... oh. I told him I need your permission. I don't NEED it really, but I don't want to hurt your feelings. Wow," Ianto groaned, one of those soft noises Jack had never heard him make unless they were petting. He found he didn't like hearing it made for someone else. "Yes, right there, good, ah ..."

Maybe he hadn't overcome his jealous streak as much as he liked to think. "Ianto - where are you?"

"Great, OK then. These are tiny, tiny buttons, sir. How do you always open them so fast?" Ianto chuckled again. "Thank you, Derek. He's working the buttons Captain. I'm too fumbly."

Normally, Jack would have licked his lips, enjoying the low sound of Ianto's voice and musical accent caressing a word like 'fumbly', but at the moment, his feelings were  more violent. There was a rustling movement, then Ianto spoke again. "Oh yes, that is better. Yes, right there. Mmm, your hands are so hot and strong ... Oh, oh, perfect, little lower, yes, ... wait," Ianto made a sound suspciously close to a giggle. "What are you doing? That's not my back!"

Jack's jaw went slack at the sound of now breathless laughter."Get your hands back where they belong!"

He could just imagine where Derek was sliding his hands. Jones had a very touchable rear. "Ianto! Focus. Where. Are. You?"

Ianto hummed and seemed to remember he had Jack on the phone. "Yes, Jack?"

"What is going on? Where are you?"

"Well, I thought I told you," Jack heard another rustling noise.

"Why do you need your shirt off?"

"Oh, yes, right there, good, ... I'm getting a back rub."

"A back rub," Jack ran a hand through his hair, feeling aggitation crawl over his skin like a picnic of ants. His instincts were screaming that something was off, wrong with this.

"Yes, and a really good one ... yes, lower, lower. No, not that low," Ianto gave a naughty chuckle. "That's not not my back, Derek."

Jack hurried to Tosh's console and began tracking the phone Ianto was using. It was disposable, and being bounced to towers all over Cardiff. Over the line he heard more movement. "What are you doing to my trousers?"

The wicked purr Ianto made had Jack aching. He loved that noise, and Ianto only made it for him in their afterglow, when Jack started thing up again with his sleepy, compliant bedmate.

"Oh, yes. That's nice. OH! What's that?" The muffled voice spoke again. "The trousers are in the way too? Hang on Jack, I need to take off my trousers."

"Ianto, what kind of back rub -" A loud gasp cut him off. "IANTO."

"I went for a massage. You told me to relax, but Derek said a drink would help too." Ianto explained. Jack could hear him try to focus more. "Only one parlor was open this late. Hey,do you need me at the HUb?"

"Yes," Jack lied shamelessly. "Wherever you are, get in a cab and go to the lift. I'll come up and fetch you."

"Cabs don't run this late. Oh yes, that is better. Yes, ohh, yes. Your hands are so strong. - Sorry Jack, what was that last bit? Did you need me?"

"Yes," Jack spat, ready to throttle the Welsh prick. No, he'd tie him up and get that purr out of him for a few hours first, then throttle him.

"Yes," Ianto echoed to his backrubbing drinking mate, whom Jack decided he was going to dislike, possibly despise. "Lower. Oh, yes, I like it when you sit on me like that. Hang on, Jack. Derek, your belt is pinching. Yes, OK, maybe your pants should go too."

"What are you doing? Not there!" Ianto did giggle then, and sighed. "Oh, but that feels good, damn. Oh, damn!"

"Ianto?"

Another throaty purr made Jack startlingly hard. "Ohh, yes, more, ohh, don't stop, ..."

"Ianto, put Derek on the phone."

"Ohh, ohh, damn it, Jack wants to talk to you." The muffled voice laughed and said something. "He won't take the phone. Just tell me what to say."

"Tell him, I'm armed and coming to find you. He'd best not be there when I do."

Ianto repeated Jack's words precisely, moaning and gasping intermittantly.

"Derek says come get me. Ow! Hey!" Ianto keened and made a sound like a whimper burried in a pillow. "I don't want to have sex with you. I'm not ready! Hey Oh..OH that's what you were doing? Oh! Ugn! Faster! Damn!" Ianto's panting took on that sharp edge that meant he was about to burst. Jack could hear flesh slapping flesh. "Yes! Yes! Fuck! Ah!"

Heavy breathing filled the line. Jack's hands flew on the keyboard, running a deeper trace. After a moment, Ianto recovered. "Oh, Jack?"

Furious, turned on, and worried out of his mind as the trace showed the phone was in the Hub - the one place it couldn't be - Jack ran a hand through his hair again. If they could hide a phone's current signal from Torchwood, they were too dangerous to have any of the team cornered, no matter how good a time Ianto was apparently having. "What the hell just happened?"

"Jack," Ianto's amused chuckle grated horribly. "You should come to your room."

"My room." Jack looked back at the triangulation on the screen. That would be about the location. "IN THE HUB?"

"Do you have another?"

Jack leapt a rail and stalked along the metal walk, piecing the very simple puzzle together. Ianto was leaning against the wall - completely dressed - with a phone at his ear, grinning - the dirty bastard.

"I can't believe you did that," Jack growled, swallowing the last of his worry. A smile broke out of its own accord. At Ianto's smirk, Jack laughed out loud. "Come here!"

Ianto flipped the phone into his pocket and dodged as Jack lunged. "No, you're coming here!" Jack managed to catch an elegant wrist. He jerked Ianto against him and pushed him against the wall, pinning him with his body. "Do you have any idea - I was ready to -"

"Come charging to my rescue." Ianto smoothed his shirt carefully, letting his blunt nails scratching through the fabric. "Very dashing, sir."

Jack bit Ianto's lip a little sharper than usual. He did like the surprising games his Welsh lover played. "I am, aren't I?"

"Inescapably, sir," Ianto shifted as Jack slid a knee between his thighs. They ground together against the wall, panting.

"You are going to regret that," Jack promised, kissing next to Ianto's ear and biting again.

Eyes raked over him with clear, clever thoughts. "Oh, I doubt it."

Jack was going to enjoy payback for this. "I think this is spanking territory."

His Welsh lover's lips drew into a brighter, naughty smile. "I'm still not seeing any reason to regret it."

"Well," Jack slid his hands back to squeeze Ianto's ass. "After I spank you, we're breaking into an office building."

Ianto rolled his eyes a little and slid a hand between them, giving Jack a rough stroke through his trousers. "It's Monday night. Some poor man will be working late."

"We'll ask if he's game," Jack bit Ianto's ear. "Unless his name is Derek."

Laughing, Ianto slid his hands up to Jack's waist. "But we're already at OUR office."

Jack hummed in consideration and gave a wet pant when Ianto's tongue slipped into his ear. "Much closer."

"And," Ianto paused to bite Jack's neck. "I took the liberty of adding a few necessities to your file drawer."

Smiling wider, Jack turned Ianto to face the wall and slid his hands into the younger man's front pockets. "Anything interesting?"

Ianto panted against the bulkhead, his hands open and flat against it for balance. "Watermelon lip balm, sir."

"Watermelon - " Jack remembered his off hand remark to Toshiko that morning when the scent of her apple lip gloss was about to drive Owen mad.
'How can a man work when all he can smell is apple candy?' Owen had snarled from autopsy, tinkering with his latest bit of alien medical gear.
Tosh's face fell a little and Jack had come to her rescue. Bending over her shoulder to take a deep sniff, he'd made her blush by purring,'At least it's not watermelon. I'd have to kiss it off you.'

Where observant Ianto had been to hear him tell her that, Jack didn't know, but he did like the idea of tasting a light gloss on Ianto's lips - just to kiss it off him. He dropped his lips now to Ianto's shoulder, feeling the familiar sleek cloth. After this man, he'd never be able to visit a tailor without thinking of moments like these. "I'll race you."

Ianto pushed his hands back and turned, pulling Jack into a promising kiss. Then he bolted for the main part of the Hub without a backward glance. Jack gave chase, catching him against one of the walkway rails for a more determined kiss. "Sneaky brat."

"You like sneaky," Ianto pointed out, letting Jack bend him back over the rail. He gave another chuckle when Jack wrapped his fist in his tie.

"I like you," Jack purred, pulled Ianto in for another kiss. As desired, Ianto melted a little at any kind of praise or affection. The younger man tried to be aloof about it, but Jack knew when he was adored.

The Rift alarm trilled to life and Jack grinned at the dark look Ianto gave Tosh's console. "Guess that spanking will have to wait." He grinned. Ianto glanced at him with that same look, but followed him to Tosh's workstation anyway.

"Unknown signature. North Road beside Bute park. It's massive," Ianto informed Jack as the other man dialed Gwen. "Two calls to emergency. A crash of some kind. Four injured. Reports of a very tall thing with tentacle arms screaming in the middle of the street."

"Get Tosh and Owen to meet us there." Jack gave Ianto's rear a good solid smack. Ianto barely flinched, but gave Jack an incredulous, promising look over his shoulder. "I'll raise Gwen and tell Emergency that it's Torchwood."

"Yes sir."

Four mintues later, Jack grinned as Ianto loaded him up with a few of their heavier ordinances. "You're coming too."

Ianto stared for a second. Jack handed back two of the guns. "Gwen promoted you to field agent. I'm not going to second guess her decisions now that I'm back."

He walked through the gear door, giving Ianto a second to reign in the shy, proud smile. As the lift doors closed behind them, Jack shifted the guns to one arm and put a firm hand on Ianto's shoulder. There was so much he should have done before he left, so much he still needed to get to now that he was back - for good. "I should have done it sooner."

With a pale, rosy pink blush on his cheeks, Ianto's smile peeked through. "Gwen is a bit sharper than you, sir."

"Really?" Jack dropped his hand and shouldered both guns. The lift opened and he hurried out before Ianto to grab the SUV keys. "I'm still prettier, right?"

"The fairest in all of Cardiff, sir." Ianto teased back in the kind of tone one would tell a toddler that his ugly picture was lovely. Jack laughed as they slipped out of the tourist office and into the night.