Title: Gifts
By: lower-case-me
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Rating: AO
Spoilers: Up to Out of Time
Summary: After the events of Out of Time, Jack gets an early Christmas present.

***

From the door of his office, Ianto made a noise that barely existed, like an ultra-polite clearing of the throat, and Jack turned. He'd been staring at the wall. Not so long ago, he would have tried to think of a plausible reason, but now he couldn't be bothered with the charade. If he looked exhausted and hollowed out in front of Ianto, so what. It'd only mean an extra helping of discretion and possibly the really really very good coffee instead of the good coffee.
'If you care to give me your clothes, Sir, I'll hang them in the updraft from the water tower. The dry cleaners will be closed for Christmas tomorrow, but the breeze might help get the exhaust smell out.'

Notice how he avoided the obvious innuendo possibilities of that request, Jack thought. Considerate of him. Jack was far too tired for witty repartee.
'Yeah. Thanks. I guess I should shower, huh?' Notice how I avoided the obvious innuendo possibilities there too. Jack tired to figure out if he wanted sex or not. The cracking headache said no, the aching loneliness said yes. Ianto was sensitive to his mood and wouldn't insist on making it fun tonight, sure, but Jack wasn't sure if he was capable of raising the strength needed to let Ianto know he wanted physical contact.
'Actually Captain, I was wondering if you might like your Christmas present a little early. I wouldn't ask, as you're probably not in the mood for festivities, but it might be appropriate.'

Jack smiled- a genuine smile that didn't take any effort.
'I trust you to know what's appropriate, Ianto. But I can't promise the reaction you deserve tonight.'
'Not to worry Sir.'
'Whenever you call me Sir these days I think you're planning something.'
'Could be, could be. If you'll meet me downstairs in ten minutes, I'll show you.'
'How could I refuse an offer like that, from someone wearing that suit.'

Ianto smiled, and turned on his heel. Damn, he's pretty, thought Jack. And mine. He felt better. By the formal mode of address, and the oh-so-upright posture, Ianto was definitely planning something.
He really did feel better, but Jack didn't know how Ianto had done that. With fine judgement of the right line to walk, between distraction from and attention to the darkness of his mood, of course, but that was the what and not the how.

He shuffled papers for a few minutes, killing time, but now that it had been pointed out by someone else, the smell of car exhaust in his clothes bothered him. It was less than five minutes before he decided to get rid of them. Ianto wouldn't mind if he took the time to find some clean clothes and was a little late. Hell, Ianto wouldn't mind if he dumped his clothes on the floor and turned up naked.

Jack headed for the downstairs bathroom, the one closest to his room. He pushed through the door without looking- everyone else had gone home long ago.
'Peeking, Captain?'
'Ianto- Whoa! Is that for me?'
'It's a little awkwardly shaped, I hope you don't mind it's not wrapped.'

Ianto took his hand out of the half-filled bath where he'd been checking the temperature and shook it dry, grinning cheekily. The huge old iron and porcelain bathtub sat where the two shower cubicles had been just that morning. It had clawed feet in the shape of clawed lion paws and shiny brass taps. A wisp of steam rose off the water, and Jack's soap sat in a little dish on the side against the wall, lined up in a neat row with his shampoo and conditioner.

Jack laughed, delighted.
'Where did you get that? And how did you-'
'Skill, Captain, and ingenuity.'
'I can believe that.' He crossed the distance between them with two strides and kissed Ianto with an energy he didn't know he had. 'It's perfect. Unbelievably perfectly me, and so very you.'

As they broke apart, Ianto allowed himself another pleased smile and a nod, acknowledgement of a job done to his satisfaction.
'In you get then.'
'Care to join me?'
'All in good time. Give me your clothes first. No offence, Jack, but you don't smell as good as usual.'
'Ianto, your car-'
'Don't worry about my car. I never thought I'd have to ask three times to get your trousers off, Jack.'
'Well you know what they say. If you want a job done properly...'

With an exaggerated theatrical sigh, Ianto grabbed Jack's belt buckle and undid it. Jack laid his hands on Ianto's wrists, but didn't help. He chose to rub his nose through Ianto's soft, dark hair instead. Poor Ianto had probably decided cutting his hair short would make it Jack-mess resistant. He should have known better.

Businesslike hands undid his shirt buttons and slid his braces off, as Jack nibbled at Ianto's ear.
'Into the bath with you, Captain. I won't be a moment.'
'Hmmm. Two minutes and I come after you, naked and soapy as I may be.'
'Oh dear. Forgive me Jack, but you really need to work on your threats.'

After turning off the taps, Ianto took Jack's clothes and shot him a wicked grin as he went out the door. Jack took a deep breath and stepped into his present, just a little too hot, just as he needed it to be. He sighed deeply, splashing a little more than necessary as he eased himself down into the water. The heat seeped into tired muscles and eased through Jack's bones. The headache didn't disappear, but he felt some of the day's tension give way to warm water and good thoughts.

He was almost asleep when the door creaked open again. Ianto hung a fresh towel over the rail and neatly laid a bathmat on the lino. The second task brought him within grabbing range.
'Oi. That's my tie you've got there' Ianto said mock-reproachfully. His accent was thicker than usual, which meant he was either tired or turned on or both.
'Yup. C'mere.'
'I've just got to-'
'Get in the bath, Jones, or I'll think of a better threat.'

Sliding the knot of his tie off the end, Ianto slipped out of it. Jack watched him undress and wondered when efficiency got so damn sexy. When he realised it was all about intensity and attention, very likely. When he realised how incredible it was to be the focus of such care.

He moved forward, allowing Ianto to slide into the tub behind him and wrap his legs around his waist. Jack lay back with his head on Ianto's shoulder and kissed the place under his jaw that made Ianto sigh and close his eyes.
'Merry Christmas, Jack.'
'Nadolig Llawen, Ianto. And thanks for the gift.'

Jack kissed him again, as Ianto ran warm slippery hands over his torso, just sliding and feeling and enjoying the solid curves of him. With both of them in the bath together, the water level rose to cover all but Jack's head. It didn't take much, only a slow dip of Ianto's shoulder, and he found his head being supported by a careful hand as well, in the water up to his ears. Ianto splashed his hair wet and flicked the cap off the shampoo bottle with his thumb. It felt cold on Jack's scalp, but only for a second, before strong, firm fingers massaged it through his hair.
'Still smells like a traffic jam, huh?' Jack asked, letting his eyes close.
'Give me a minute' Ianto said quietly, patiently.

He poured water over Jack's hair from a cupped hand, clearing the shampoo away thoroughly and methodically. Keeping his head still, Jack shifted his body slowly, and felt Ianto half-hard underneath him. In just a minute, when Ianto was done, he'd give that the attention it deserved, but for now, just for a minute or two, he lay back in the water and let Ianto wash the reek of death away.

***

Ianto groaned. Jack poked him a second time.
'Bugger off, will you.'
'Merry Christmas to you, too. Hey, look at that, I'm rhyming again' said Jack, painfully chirpy for this early in the morning. Ianto groaned again and tried to burrow under the covers. It was difficult, because one of those covers was Jack, who was wide awake and intent on disturbing him.
'C'mon, it's Christmas morning! Wakey-wakey, Ianto.'
'I tried "bugger off" already, did I not?'
'Awww. Poor Ianto' Jack dived under the blankets and ruffled his hair. 'You know I'm not going to let you go back to sleep.'
'Only a right bastard sets an alarm for half six on a holiday morning, Jack.'
'I have my reasons.'
'Yeah?' Doubt dripped off Ianto's tone.
'Get up and you'll find out.'
'Makes a change from your usual "come to bed and you'll find out". I prefer that. Let's do that instead. I can sleep through it.'

Jack bit Ianto's shoulder, grabbed him round the waist and rolled out of the narrow bed.
'I couldn't let you get away with that comment, now could I?' Jack nuzzled Ianto's neck, unapologetic but enjoying the warm, sleepy body in his arms. 'And I promise I'll let you come back to bed in a couple of hours. I'll insist on it, even.'
'D'you know how many days a year I get a lie-in?'
'I'm your boss, I'll make sure you get at least one a week next year.'
'My unionist forefathers would be so proud' Ianto said sarcastically, earning himself a slap on the arse from Jack, followed by a quick grope, because, well, while he was there...

Despite moaning, Ianto managed to get into jeans, boots, and a heavy fleece jacket and have coffee ready before Jack could find his shoes. As soon as Jack saw Ianto's cup, he rubbed up against him again.
'Is there one of those for me, Ianto? My beautiful, gorgeous-'
'I'm off duty. Make your own.'

The low yowl of displeasure Jack gave out made Ianto laugh, and for the first time he looked awake.
'This one's for you. I wouldn't sully my morning beverage with milk.'
'I knew you wouldn't be so heartless' Jack said, kissing Ianto's ear.
'Liar. You knew nothing of the sort.'

It was still dark when they walked through Cardiff- Jack wanted to walk, and see the Christmas lights fade into the slow overcast dawn. Ianto had withdrawn into his humouring-the-boss silence, and just walked. By 8 o'clock, they'd walked through central Cardiff and were outside the museum, by the ferris wheel, and Ianto was fervently hoping Jack didn't have a thing for rides. He had a frightening vision of Jack and a roller coaster. No, the fun-fair had been in place for weeks, surely it couldn't be.
'You ice-skate, Ianto?'
'No really, Sir' said Ianto, internally thanking any God that happened to be listening. Jack grinned a feral, wolfish grin.

But he did skate well. Very well, even beautifully. Grace wasn't usually one of Jack's most notable qualities. Now, he slid easily backwards, holding Ianto's hands, gently persuading him away from the barrier wall. Few people were on the ice this early, so they had the space almost to themselves. Ianto could keep his feet, but left the antics to Jack.

Jack took a few long strides away, turned and twisted and span, laughing, but always coming back to Ianto. He glided close by Ianto for a little while, near enough to touch, to kiss, and to gently play with. Then, periodically, he'd arc away, all elegant curves and perfect spirals.

The daylight gradually strengthened, but the mist didn't lift. It rose off the ice and the wet grass and made the coloured Christmas lights glowy. Although the temporary ice-rink was close to one of the busiest roads in the city, the fog muffled the noise and made it seem like they were further away. There was just the cut of skates over ice, and sometimes Jack, and that was alright. Ianto looked at the decorations on the giant tree and the ferris wheel, tried his best not to fall over in the corners, and not to laugh too hard at Jack calling 'Mom, you aren't watching!' across the flat whiteness when he'd done a trick.

After an hour, Ianto had forgotten the cold and the missed chance for a morning in bed, and was happy to watch Jack enjoy himself and feel the ice pass smoothly under his feet. He saw Jack twirl and smiled at what Owen would say. As Jack curved away, Ianto didn't try to watch him, because he strongly suspected that trying a quick turn would result in an undignified landing on the ice, arse-first if he was lucky. Therefore, he didn't know Jack was coming until he felt a gentle collision and arms wrapped around him from behind.
'Breakfast before I honour my promise and drag you back to my bed for hours and hours of the best sex of your life?'
'If it's going to go for hours and hours, I'll need a sustaining breakfast, Captain. I'd ask you what you wanted, but I have a feeling you've already got a plan.'
'Crepes. French ones, cooked in brandy and orange sauce. With icecream.'

Ianto's first impulse was to mentally locate the three fire extinguishers closest to the hub kitchen. Crepes Suzette were suppose to be set alight to burn the cognac off before serving. His second thought was to wonder what Jack would look like with no eyebrows. It must have showed on his face.
'Don't worry your pretty head, I'm not gonna cook. You never let me have any fun.'
Giving the lie to his own words, Jack slid away from Ianto, keeping only one hand in contact, and skated easily backwards.

He must have ordered breakfast in advance, because it was brought out almost as soon as they sat down in the little French restaurant back down towards the Bay. The waitress did set fire to the crepes, but the chef was obviously a much more restrained man than Jack, because the quick blue flames didn't endanger the tablecloth or anyone's facial hair, and Ianto was able to enjoy the colours and the delicious smell. She set the plate down with a flourish and a disdainful look at the icecream Jack had insisted on, and left them too it. Ianto chose not to look around and see the look on her face when Jack started to wolf down a crepe at a time with his fingers, but he couldn't help but smile. Jack grinned, with half a mouthful of pancake.
'Eat up, Ianto. Big day ahead.'
'I thought we were going back to bed?' Ianto took a normal-human-being-sized bite off his fork, and reflected that the food really was very good.
'Yup' said Jack, happily.

By the time the plate was finished, Ianto was pleasantly full and Jack had a familiar look in his eye. What's worse, he'd been quiet for almost ten minutes. That meant he was thinking, planning, working out his next play in minute detail. Oh yes, Ianto knew that look very well. It didn't mean he had to let things go as Jack planned.

As Jack popped the end of his last crepe into his mouth, Ianto set his knife and fork neatly to the side of his plate, and paused for a split second. Exactly on time, Jack lifted his fingers towards his mouth. Before they could arrive, Ianto grabbed each of Jack's hands in one of his own. He said nothing, but a look passed between the two of them as Ianto drew Jack's right hand closer, and lowered his mouth over the first finger. Without breaking eye contact, he licked and sucked the sweet sauce carefully away. Jack's expression froze.
'Ianto Jones, you are a very bad man.'

There was no reply from Ianto, except the soft popping sound as he drew Jack's finger out of his mouth and took another. Behind him, their waitress and the maître d' were goggling liked mortally offended fish. For all Jack cared, they could have been real fish with legs. He gave a low, barely audible growl and didn't take his eyes off Ianto, who was working his tongue around a finger in slow, precise circles.

Some time in the early afternoon, Jack wasn't sleeping, but he was making a reasonable simulation of it. He missed sleep, and lying in bed with a slumbering Ianto was the closest he came most of the time. At best, Jack found a kind of rest by proxy, feeling Ianto's slow heartbeat and deep, easy breathing, and at worst, he had something pretty to watch in the dark hours before dawn.

Since his own sleep had been denied, Jack found a new interest in other people's. Ianto, for instance, almost always kept one hand, or even just a toe, resting against Jack as he fell asleep. Just one point of contact. Jack experimented and found that if he moved away, Ianto would roll over and search for him without ever waking. If he replaced himself with a pillow, it was seized, examined, and rejected. Ianto would make a grumpy face and turn restlessly until he found warm skin. He didn't need to hold, just touch, but if Jack persisted in running away to the other side of the narrow single bed, he'd be found again and firmly lain upon.

When Jack got tired of playing, it was restful to feel the tension ebb away as Ianto drifted toward slumber. But today, he hadn't got the whole way there. Instead of becoming more relaxed after they settled down, he'd lain too still and too quiet.
'Ianto? You awake?' Jack said quietly.
'Just wondering when I'm getting my Christmas present.'

Jack laughed, as he was supposed to, and kissed him between the shoulder blades. It was a lie, but such an obvious lie that it didn't count.
'Later. First, lunch.'
'Lunch?' Ianto groaned. 'I'm still full of breakfast.'
'No. Problem. Captain Jack is here to help.' Jack grinned, and nibbled Ianto's neck. 'More sex, then lunch.'
'I walked into that, didn't I?' In reply, Jack happily bit him on the shoulder.

This time, Jack wanted to cook. Ianto intended to do Christmas lunch for both of them, and had shopped accordingly, but he hadn't reckoned on Jack wanting to help. He considered tying him to chair and getting on with the job, but settled for doing as much of the actual work as possible while keeping Jack away from the blender. It wasn't that Jack was a menace in the kitchen, but he did get underfoot and every time he stuck his fingers in a mixing bowl- every 90 seconds- Ianto felt a terrible urge to smack him with a wooden spoon. The thought that he was becoming his grandmother was disturbing.

Still, Ianto was a good cook, and nothing up to and including Jack's habit of sliding a hand around under the waistband of his jeans and fondling his navel with his thumb could make him a bad one. Jack made no comment about the absence of roast goose or turkey on the Christmas menu. Both Ianto and Tosh had been firmly vegetarian since their encounter with the cannibals, and Ianto's cheese and onion Glamorgan sausages were excellent.

They ate using Jack's desk as a table, and somewhere between the cooking and the washing up Jack seemed to become useful in the kitchen. The sudden attack of uncharacteristic efficiency seemed highly suspicious, to Ianto's mind, but he was too tired to really care.
'Ianto?' Jack said, slotting a dry plate neatly into the rack.
'Mm?'
'You've been quiet.'
'Only compared to you, Captain.'

Jack gave him an I-know-you're-bullshitting-me look, and kissed him on the side of the mouth. Usually, Ianto with soapy hands was as good as an open invitation for mischief, and earlier in the day that would have been true, but today he did nothing more than rest his head against Ianto's.
'So what's next? I assume you have the rest of the day planned out as precisely as the morning.'
'Only if you want it to be.'

Ianto looked up and found Jack's eyes on him, intense and unguessable. He nodded curtly, not trusting himself with anything more. After he put the last plate away, Jack took Ianto's hands and dried them on the towel slowly, thinking on the world of distance between the Ianto who'd licked orange sauce off his fingers this morning with lust and joy in his eyes, and the one who wouldn't or couldn't look at him now. A couple of hours on Christmas day made all the difference. A year ago, a couple of hours on Christmas day had left Ianto's life in ruins.

They took the rover out of Cardiff, Jack driving and Ianto looking out the window. Above Tongwynlais, Jack turned off onto the road that led to Castell Coch.
'The castle will be closed for Christmas and Boxing Day, Sir.'
'We're not going to the castle. We're going walking. C'mon.' Jack lead the way, with a bounce in his step that was very much Captain Jack Harkness. Ianto followed, less ostentatious but at the same pace. They made their way up the hills, more scrambling than walking in some places. Ianto's old work boots were much better suited to the mud than Jack's shoes. They were going to need polishing after this, Ianto thought dimly. After that, he allowed himself to forget, and just to walk.

The hills brought a sense of comfort, same as they had for 10 year-old Ianto wandering on the common above his village. He wondered if there was somewhere out there that was Jack's home, like the valleys of South Wales were his. If such a place existed, it was a long way away.

They followed a wooded ridge up above the little round castle- a pretty Victorian fake, Ianto knew, built for some kind of early version of kitsch value. But he liked the woods and the green, and the sensation of being up high, but hidden. After a while, the path came out of the trees and ran above a line of cliffs. There was a view across the rolling green hills, the rocks and the bracken and nothing else. Jack stopped, glancing back to check Ianto was still there. He tilted his head slightly, questioning, but Ianto wasn't sure what he wanted. Jack nodded, as if he'd given the appropriate response already, and headed for a plain wooden bench under one of the last trees.

For a couple of minutes, they sat and looked out into the afternoon. At four o'clock, the light was staring to fade and the cold to solidify. The planks were slightly damp, and looked new. For himself, Ianto was content enough to just sit, but it seemed strange that someone as melodramatic as Jack would be.
'This is my Christmas present.'
'You're quick' Jack laughed. 'And you're half right. Look.'

Jack shifted so he was sitting half sideways, tilted towards Ianto. Between the two of them a small brass plaque had been screwed into the wood.

For Lisa Hallet
In loving memory.

'From all of us. Even Owen. We were gonna add a quote but we couldn't agree on one.' Ianto closed his eyes, and Jack hated the pain that creased his forehead. He wanted Ianto to be the happy, horny Ianto he ought to be, not this one who suffered so much. Part of the impulse was selfish, he knew, and Jack experienced a rare touch of guilt as he continued. 'Because you can't bury her, I thought it might help to have somewhere to go.'
'Jack.'
'Yeah?'
'I need a minute.'

Ianto hung his head. His knuckles were white, holding tight to the bench. He breathed deeply and deliberately, as if the air was suddenly thin.
'Sure, sure, I'll just...' Jack hesitated. Get a grip, Harkness. He didn't want to leave. Not for Ianto, but for himself. 'Don't make me go.'

The sound Ianto made might have started as a laugh, but it ended in a gasping cough. His hand slapped down onto Jack's and grabbed it hard.

He didn't break down completely, but the effort it took to hold himself together, to breathe and not scream, cost Ianto dearly. The valley was darkening by the time the grip on Jack's hand eased. Ianto rested on the seat back, and looked almost as if he was sleeping.
'What're you thinking of?' Jack asked, breaking the silence.
'Wondering what our children would have looked like. I'm a sad bastard, I know.' Ianto squeezed Jack's hand as an apology.
'Easy. Tall, strong, her eyes and your nose and skin like cafe latte. Beautiful.'

Ianto nodded, but still looked exhausted.
'I know what she saw in you' Jack said, smiling.
'I was a different man then.'
'No, some things don't change. Lisa was a strong woman. A free spirit, you said. That's so much easier when you've got someone's shoulders to stand on. You're a rock, Ianto.'
'You're mixing metaphors, Jack.'

Jack laughed, and Ianto smirked a little.
'C'mon, Yan. Let's go home. I want to watch you unwrap the rest of your presents.'

***