Title: Provocation
By: b-w-williams
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Rating: AO
Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine!
A/N: Just a little smut for a Sunday afternoon :)
Summary: Ianto is a tease! PWP.

***

Ianto Jones, the very embodiment of professionalism in the workplace, had been teasing him all day long and, whilst Jack didn't have a problem with that at all, he simply couldn't be sure if it was on purpose or not.

And the uncertainty was driving him out of his mind.

He stood on the walkway above the centre of the Hub, watching his team attack their work with the usual gusto interspersed with moments of complete and utter immaturity. One was just arising, in fact, as Owen slunk towards Gwen's chair, fully intent on poking a finger into her side. Jack smiled, considered calling out to warn the former police officer and then decided instead to let Owen get away with it for once. A moment later Gwen's shriek echoed through the large open space and she turned on her assailant with a flurry of weak and badly aimed slaps.

Nearby, Tosh was pretending not to notice their fighting, though she was smiling rather too broadly at her bank of monitors. Ianto stood close to her desk, having just collected her empty mug, and watched the pair briefly before continuing on his path to the coffee machine.

There! Jack narrowed his eyes as Ianto's head twisted slightly, exposing the flesh of his throat as he stretched his neck. That had to have been intentional. Just like every other time he'd made a similar movement that day and drawn attention to his neck.

Licking his lips, Jack moved silently along the catwalk, entirely unnoticed by those below except for Ianto; he simply had to be aware, unless he was putting on the show purely on the off-chance that Jack was watching.

The heavenly scent of strong coffee reached the Captain and he drew in a long appreciative breath, eyes fixed on the young man pottering around below him. As he stared, Ianto lifted one hand to his neck, long fingers sliding slowly across the slight protrusions at the top of his spine and then around towards his throat. He head fell back as he traced the line of his jaw, running his fingertips over his Adam's apple before completing the circle and bringing his hand around the opposite side of his neck.

Leaning his head to the side, Ianto pushed his fingers into the collar of his shirt, exploring the join between neck and shoulder, lingering over a spot that Jack knew perfectly was bright red and throbbing; he had made it so with his own mouth earlier that morning.

Ianto rubbed at the bite mark lazily, running his fingers back up the length of his neck and then down into his collar once again. Jack watched the entire performance without blinking, waiting for the tell-tale flicker of Ianto's eyes that would prove the younger man knew he was being observed.

"What's the matter?"

Ianto jumped, dropping his hand swiftly to his side. He turned to find that Gwen had appeared beside the coffee machine, looking up at him with concern. "What?" he countered instinctively, managing to sound guilty and naïve all at the same time.

"Your neck, what's wrong with it?"

"Oh, nothing," said Ianto, before falling silent again. He had apparently lost his ability to think quickly in pressing situations and Jack watched in amusement as Gwen refused to let him get away with such an unconvincing lie.

"It doesn't look like nothing," she told him.

"I think," Ianto began hesitantly, "I must have slept in a bad position last night," he finally said, the words coming in a rush as he settled on a reasonable explanation.

His uncertainty, however, had raised Gwen's suspicions and she peered distrustfully at him. "Owen!" she called out. "Get over here."

"Gwen-"

"Ah!" she interrupted Ianto with a raised hand, one finger pointing at him like a teacher with a misbehaving student. "He's been rubbing at his neck," Gwen said as Owen strolled over.

"So?" Owen said with a shrug.

Gwen sighed loudly. "Well, don't you think you should take a look at it?"

"What, because he slept on it funny?"

"Owen, for God's sake, did you even listen to what Tosh and I were saying earlier?"

That seemed to shake Ianto out of his bemusement. "And what were you and Tosh saying earlier?" he asked, a smile on his face to try and conceal his alarm.

Gwen faltered, realising that she had just said entirely the wrong thing. "Uh..." She looked around and seemed to sag in relief to find Tosh had joined them as well.

"You've been acting a little off today," Toshiko ventured, taking over from Gwen's floundering. At Ianto's raised eyebrows she lifted her palms to placate him. "Not in a bad way, of course. It's just...your mind's been elsewhere and you've forgotten to do some of the things you said you'd do for us." She offered him a tight smile. "You completely zoned out earlier when I was telling you about the alternating levels of phasic shift I've been picking up recently."

Above them, Jack forced himself to bite back a laugh. The Captain had wondered if Ianto's dedication to teasing him would be observed by their colleagues, even if the reason for his unusual behaviour eluded them.

Truth be told, he had expected one of the three to have put all the clues together by now and guess what he and Ianto had been up to, but it seemed they were either missing all the signals, or else purposefully not seeing them.

"I'm fine," Ianto told the confronting trio. Jack could tell he wanted to look up, to draw the older man into the debate so he could be saved any more questions, but he resisted. He was probably worried that Jack wouldn't help him, that the Captain would treat it as a game, and he would be right too, Jack realised with a smirk. As far as he was concerned, Ianto deserved to squirm after the show he'd been putting on all day.

"Let me take a look," Owen said suddenly, taking a step forward.

Ianto took an identical step back. "There's really no need," he protested, but Owen kept coming and Ianto quickly ran out of room in which to manoeuvre. "Owen, come on, I've just pulled a muscle."

Owen stopped and crossed his arms. "Listen, mate, look at it this way. With everything we see here, everything we encounter, do you really think we shouldn't take notice when one of us starts to act strangely?"

"Yes, of course," Ianto responded carefully, seeing the trap but unable to avoid agreeing with the other man. "But I'm not act-"

He broke off as Tosh, unexpectedly appearing at his side, hooked a finger into his collar and tugged it aside. She went up onto her toes to peer beneath the material. Making an affronted noise, Ianto pulled away and she let him go without a fight. Her expression was blank for a fraction of a second before she bit her lip, the corners of her mouth quivering as she held back a grin. Her dark eyes flickered upwards, to where Jack was still watching them, and then she turned on her heel, hurrying away with a hand clasped over her mouth.

Well, someone had guessed about them after all. Jack smiled, rather pleased at both her observational skills and her discretion with their secret.

Owen, Gwen and Ianto watched their colleague hurry away, momentarily stunned by her behaviour, and then Owen saw his opportunity and lunged at Ianto, catching him in a headlock and crowing with delight as he wrenched the shirt collar open. Ianto gagged as his tie prevented the collar from giving way, pressing instead into his windpipe and choking him.

Owen's enjoyment of his victory was short-lived and he released his hold on the other man with a huff of amusement. "Right then," he said, slapping Ianto's shoulder. "Well done, I didn't know you had it in you."

He turned and followed Tosh across the large open space, leaving Gwen utterly perplexed.

"What?" she asked Owen's retreating back. "What is it?"

"A love-bite, Gwen," Owen called over his shoulder. "You got us all on red alert because Ianto actually managed to get some action."

"Managed?" Ianto echoed. An offended scowl creased his forehead and he folded his arms over his chest, a pose which Jack could only grin at. Not one of the team believed Ianto was truly angry when he made the effort to try and look mad.

Gwen rounded on Ianto with wide eyes and a huge grin on her face. "You've got a girlfriend?" she cried out happily. "Ianto, why didn't you tell us?"

Startled by her enthusiasm, Ianto reared back slightly, mouth opening and closing uselessly.

"You have to tell us all about her," Gwen persisted, the glee of discovering such gossip clear as she crowded him against the coffee machine.

Tosh reappeared at her side. "Yes, Ianto, tell us all about her."

Ianto narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the emphasis on her last word, but it seemed Gwen didn't notice at all. "What's her name?" she pressed, moving even closer in excitement.

Jack recognised the moment Ianto decided to run with the misunderstanding. He knew that look, the one that meant the young man's mischievous side had been aroused, and it stirred something within him as well.

"Her name," Ianto repeated carefully, mind undoubtedly casting aside all the names he definitely couldn't use – Jackie, Jacqueline – before making a decision. "It's Jemima," he said confidently. "Like the Puddle-Duck."

Jack's eyebrows shot up at the unexpected choice. What on earth had been going on in Ianto's head for him to start naming Beatrix Potter characters?

Tosh could only giggle, but Gwen smiled encouragingly. "Oh, that's adorable," she gushed. "I bet she's cute with a name like that."

Ianto seemed to consider that carefully. "No, I wouldn't say cute. She's a bit too brash to be called cute."

"Brash?" Gwen echoed, a hint of uncertainty creeping into her voice.

"Yeah. Loud, pushy, you know the type."

"Oh," Gwen said. She definitely hadn't anticipated that kind of description. "Uh, so how did you meet?"

"I've known her for a while, seen her around the usual places. She came onto me, to be honest, wouldn't take no for an answer." He shrugged casually. "And here we are."

Jack glared down at the other man. This was going to require some very interesting retaliation indeed, he decided.

Tosh cleared her throat. "You don't sound too enamoured with her," she said, giving him a wide-eyed look of concern. Jack could tell it was entirely false.

Ianto shrugged again, slipping his hands into his pockets. "She's a lovely girl, really. I'm just not sure how long it'll last, to be honest."

Jack tensed slightly at that. He knew Ianto was joking, playing with the unsuspecting Gwen, but that kind of statement was often based in some small truth; it might reflect a hidden fear that the end was indeed nigh.

"What do you mean?" Gwen asked, interrupting the Captain's internal deliberation.

"This is going to sound bad," Ianto said, lowering his voice slightly and leaning closer to the women. They mirrored his action and Jack tilted his head in an attempt to better hear. "But I've seen old photos of her. She's really let herself go recently. Gone a bit soft around the middle, if you know what I mean."

Gwen straightened up, her expression horrified. "Ianto!" she cried. "That's a horrible thing to say!" She gawped at him, unable to believe he had said something so shallow.

Beside her, Tosh was struggling with her giggles again and she eventually had to move, turning her back so neither Gwen or Jack could see her grinning at Ianto's defamation of their leader.

Gwen still failed to notice Tosh's reaction. Instead she folded her arms and scowled darkly at Ianto. "Well, if you're going to be such a pig, you don't deserve her anyway! Honestly, Ianto, I expected more from you."

With that, she span around and stormed away, muttering to herself.

Ianto rocked a little on the balls of his feet, a small inoffensive smile on his lips. He hadn't looked up the entire time and Jack considered very briefly that he might actually be unaware of Jack's presence overhead. The concern was short-lived, however, when Tosh risked a look back at Ianto and he responded with a wink before calling out across the Hub. "She's not very good at giving either, Gwen, if you catch my meaning!"

A sly grin spread across Jack's lips. Oh, Ianto was really going to pay for that one.

Ianto shrugged out of his jacket before picking up the small disk and turning it over in his fingers. After a moment's examination, he made a mark on the paper fixed to his clipboard. The disk then went into the storage box on the bench and the next item along was picked up.

He had been down in the archives for less than an hour, systematically resorting items that hadn't been touched in years. It was a task he had started months earlier and which would likely take him a good few more, considering the mess his predecessor had left behind. If, indeed, anyone had ever attempted to organise the archives before, and he had his doubts about that.

"'She's let herself go'?" came Jack's voice, breaking through the peaceful hush of the underground tunnels. His tone was deadly serious but Ianto couldn't be fooled.

Placing the object in his hand neatly into the box, Ianto reached for the next. "Hmm?" he said absently.

The air shifted as Jack moved into the room behind him. "She's. Let. Herself. Go?" Jack reiterated darkly.

"Oh you heard that?" Ianto asked nonchalantly.

"You know I did."

Ianto half-turned to look back at him. "What's the matter? It's not as if I was talking about you."

Jack's eyebrows rose and he placed his hands on his hips. "Oh, really?" he drawled. "And just who were you talking about then?"

"My secret lover, of course," Ianto replied, as though the answer was obvious. "Didn't you catch that part? Her name's Jemima." He smiled innocently at Jack's glare. "Like the Puddle-Duck," he added, unable to help himself.

With a growl, Jack surged forward, placing his hands on the workbench either side of the younger man and pinning him in place. "And just why, precisely, did that particular pseudonym spring to mind?" the Captain demanded, his face dangerously close to Ianto's.

"Oh, I don't know," Ianto admitted. "Perhaps I was comparing the way your coat flares out when you run to wings. Perhaps I was thinking of how you waddle when-" But he couldn't finish the sentence because his mouth was suddenly caught up in a demanding kiss, Jack pushing him almost painfully hard against the bench, and he returned the ferocity of the embrace, forgetting their game for a moment.

Giving Ianto's swollen lips one last swipe of his tongue, Jack pulled back, breathing heavily over the younger man's heated skin.

"You need to learn some respect, Mr. Jones," Jack rumbled at him, hands sliding up Ianto's sides. "And you really have to stop telling people that I'm not good at giving. I might get a complex."

Ianto chuckled. "I don't believe you could ever get a complex, Jack."

"Maybe not," the Captain admitted, fingers tugging at Ianto's belt. "Still, I'd better make sure there's no doubt in your mind."

Ianto's eyes widened, his gaze darkening with a surge of lust as Jack dropped to his knees. "I can always appreciate a well phrased rejoinder," he said, licking his lips.

Jack made quick work of Ianto's trousers, letting them drop to the younger man's ankles as he stared with hunger at the exposed flesh. He looked up with a grin. "You planned this," he accused, hands gliding over the Welshman's bare hips.

"Of course I didn't," protested Ianto.

"So you went without underwear today just on a whim?"

Ianto shrugged and said nothing, simply watching Jack's fingers dance over his skin. Jack accepted the lack of a response, opting instead to lick lightly along the flesh firming steadily before his face. Ianto shuddered but remained quiet, determined not to give Jack the satisfaction of moaning so early on in the proceedings.

Jack, naturally, saw this as an immediate challenge and closed his mouth over Ianto's erection without any further preamble.

Ianto's hips jerked forward and Jack tightened his grip, holding his lover still. He chuckled around the flesh in his mouth, the sound sending fantastic vibrations through the young man's groin. His hands twitched and clenched the edge of the bench, his breath catching in his throat.

Jack started up a steady rhythm, sliding his lips along Ianto's length, tongue massaging the underside of the hot flesh that filled his mouth so fully. Above him, Ianto's breath was coming faster than before, filling the air with quiet huffs of enjoyment. Jack's hands stroked over bare skin to the back of Ianto's legs, tracing the muscles that twitched with every attempted thrust, and then up to the swell of his backside, gripping firmly, still denying him the freedom to move into the wet heat that surrounded him.

The pleasure grew quickly within Ianto's body. The anticipation, which had been building all day since the wordless promise Jack had made that morning, meant that he wasn't going to last much longer; especially not combined with Jack's talented mouth.

But then Jack was pulling away and cold air struck Ianto's damp skin. He gasped at the loss of the glorious warmth, eyes snapping open to find Jack on his feet and halfway to the door.

"Jack?" he asked, a little off balance by the sudden desertion.

"Payback," the Captain said cheerfully without turning around.

Ianto stared at his retreating back, feeling momentarily bewildered and adrift, before irritation and impatience set in. "Jack!" he barked, and the older man stopped in his tracks. "Turn around!"

It was clear that Jack intended to ignore the command; he took another step but apparently could not resist looking back over his shoulder. The smile on his lips lost its arrogance as he saw Ianto standing where he had left him, trousers around his ankles and his shirt barely covering his prominent arousal.

Ageless blue eyes roved over the young man's body, hunger evident in his examination. He shook his head and cursed under his breath, turning once again and stalking back to the bench. "Dammit, Ianto. You know just what to say, don't you?" Without giving him a chance to respond, Jack captured his lips, plundering his mouth with his tongue, whilst his fingers busied themselves opening Ianto's waistcoat and shirt, pushing aside the material to run his hands over the exposed chest.

Ianto was tugging at Jack's clothes, hands slipping beneath the other man's waistband and squeezing his buttocks, pulling his cloth-covered groin against his bare erection. The rough material dragged over his sensitive skin and he moaned into Jack's mouth.

Jack chuckled and took up where his distracted lover had left off, undressing himself quickly and helping Ianto out of the rest of his clothes. It wasn't often that they went so far during the day, when anyone could walk in on them, but the heat of the moment was upon them and nothing was going to ruin that.

"Turn around," Jack ordered, breathless with desire. Ianto obeyed immediately, pushing back against Jack's chest and rolling his ass into the Captain's groin.

"Is this my punishment?" Ianto hissed as Jack's hand closed around his cock, stroking in long steady pulls.

"This is my reward for putting up with your teasing," Jack told him, licking the bite mark on the younger man's shoulder to punctuate his point. He walked his fingers up the other side of Ianto's neck and into the awaiting heat of his mouth. Ianto's tongue curled eagerly around the invading digits, wetting them thoroughly as he sucked.

Jack groaned happily at his enthusiasm and reached down to caress Ianto's twitching hole lightly, pressing in with one finger when his lover rocked back against him, demanding the intimate contact.

"More," gasped Ianto and Jack obliged. He released Ianto's cock and grabbed his chin, turning his head to kiss him. When Ianto grunted he added a third finger, stretching the muscles with quick efficiency.

Unable to wait any longer, Jack removed his fingers and spat into his palm. He briefly considered changing his approach, cursing himself mentally for not bringing any lube with him, but Ianto was apparently two steps ahead of him.

"Do it," Ianto insisted, leaning further forward. "Now!" He braced himself on the bench, his arms shaking with the effort of holding still as Jack carefully pushed into his body. His lover had always been considerate when it was his turn to top, even when their playing got particularly rough, and Ianto was touched by the Captain's selflessness. Despite the fact that he didn't always need, or want, such care.

Fully sheathed, Jack began to thrust, pulling back until almost out and then sliding back in one smooth motion. He struck up a steady rhythm, hands wrapping around Ianto's chest to keep him steady, breath coming in heavy gasps against the slick skin of his lover's back.

"Oh," Ianto breathed, as Jack changed the angle of his hips, hitting the young man's prostate with each inward push. His head dropped back to rest against Jack's shoulder, exposing the long line of his neck.

Jack pressed his lips to the pulse throbbing in Ianto's throat, ran his tongue over the damp skin. "Ianto," he groaned. "I've wanted to do this all day."

"It's barely lunchtime," Ianto laughed.

Jack responded with a growl, increasing his pace and returning his hand to Ianto's erection, pumping his neglected flesh and keeping Ianto from saying anything else.

Ianto's body tensed shortly after, his orgasm spiralling upwards and exploding out of him with a cry of pleasure. Jack continued to thrust as Ianto's muscles tightened around him, panting as he neared completion.

"Ahh," Ianto moaned, hands reaching back to grab Jack's hips, pulling his lover harder against him and drawing out his orgasm. Jack came with a gleeful shout that echoed around the underground chamber, bouncing off the old Victorian brickwork.

They stood there for a moment longer, breathing heavily, until Jack reluctantly withdrew from Ianto's body and sank to the hard floor, dragging Ianto down as well. Sprawled upon the concrete, Jack pulled Ianto on top of him, their bodies slippery with sweat and the evidence of Ianto's orgasm that had splattered upon his chest.

He smiled lazily at the younger man. "I hope you've learnt your lesson," he said, fingers running gently along Ianto's spine.

"Maybe," Ianto admitted. "But if I have, doesn't that mean I would have to start behaving myself?"

Jack made a face. "I hadn't considered that."

"Then perhaps I should inform you that I'm a very slow learner," Ianto told him, shifting so he could kiss his Captain.

When they broke apart again, Jack pushed at the strands of hair stuck to the sweat on Ianto's forehead. "Tosh has figured us out."

"I noticed that too," said Ianto.

"Perhaps we should tell the others now. Get everything out in the open."

The young Welshman shook his head where it rested above Jack's slowing heart. "We agreed. Not until Owen walks in on us and gets the surprise of his life."

Jack hummed pensively. "You know, if ever someone was going to catch us, this would be the time."

They both twisted around to look towards the room's door-less entrance; it was empty and they both chuckled in relief. Jack turned away first and found Ianto's neck extended above him. Grinning, he lurched upwards, one hand grasping the back of Ianto's head as his lips latched onto his throat. He sucked hard, drawing blood to the surface of his skin, whilst Ianto wiggled deliciously in his arms.

"Jack!" Ianto protested, unable to escape his lover's hold, though he really wasn't trying very hard. The feel of Jack's naked body beneath him was far too enjoyable to struggle with any real effort.

When Jack was done he pulled back and leered up at Ianto. "Payback," he said smugly.

Some time later, Jack was back in his office, eyeing his reflection in the windows that looked out into the heart of the Hub. He turned to one side and drew in a deep breath, sucking in his stomach and running his hand over the toned muscles beneath his shirt.

Footsteps announced someone else's arrival in the room and he checked the new reflection in the glass to see Gwen standing by his desk, a curious look upon her face.

"Tell me honestly, Gwen," he began, before she could say anything, "do you think I've gotten a bit soft around the middle?"

He twisted a little further, checking out his own backside whilst Gwen looked at him in confusion. "I don't-" She trailed off as Ianto appeared with a mug in one hand and a stack of files in the other.

He set everything down on Jack's desk before looking up to find their leader examining himself in the glass panels. Amused, he glanced over at Gwen to exchange a smile with her but her eyes were fixed on his neck and the fresh red mark visible there.

Realisation dawned upon her face and she turned to Jack, mouth hanging open. "You!" she exclaimed, a grin forming upon her lips. "You're the Puddle-Duck?"

Jack glared at Ianto, but the young man was completely unfazed by his lover's fierce expression. He turned and left the office, a small but satisfied smirk upon his face and the promise of further retaliation sending a frisson of lust through his body.

***