Title: Four Things Jack Never Would Have Guessed About Ianto, and One Thing He Suspected
By: ninefics
Word Count: 1550ish
Rating: 13 and up
Warnings: A little angst, a little fluff, a little kissing
Spoilers: Through Countrycide
Characters: Team, implied Jack/Ianto
Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. I am not affiliated with the television series Torchwood, nor any of the cast and crew. No harm is intended. It's all just for fun.
Summary: Four Things Jack Never Would Have Guessed About Ianto, and One Thing He Suspected.

1. Ianto sleeps with a plush bunny.

Jack found out accidentally. He'd gone over to Ianto's on a whim, out of restless boredom. It was three in the morning and Ianto would be home and asleep. Jack knew Ianto probably wouldn't appreciate him just showing up like that, but he also knew Ianto wouldn't turn him away.

So he let himself in, and crept through the house, up the stairs (carefully avoiding the seventh one because it squeaked) and stopped at Ianto's bedroom door. He'd never been in Ianto's bedroom before and it looked much like he thought it would: clean and stark. Bare, white walls and blond wood and not a thing out of place. Ianto was asleep on top of the blankets, wearing only soft cotton pyjama bottoms. He was on his right side and his left hand was curled around the belly of a toy bunny.

Jack decided it was best if Ianto didn't know he knew this. He sneaked back downstairs and proceeded to stomp around the first floor, bellowing Ianto's name to make him wake up.


2. Ianto hates the taste of mint.

The first time Jack kissed Ianto (properly, not in the "I'm saving your life" way), Ianto tasted like coffee. This made sense, since he'd just finished drinking a cup. Other times he'd tasted of the last thing he'd eaten, or something faintly herbal (sometimes he could taste himself on Ianto's lips, and god did he love that).

He never seemed to taste of toothpaste, which was strange because he knew he'd seen Ianto cleaning his teeth. When Jack thought about it, Ianto always dodged him when his teeth were just-brushed, and he tended to avoid him if Jack popped a mint, thinking maybe his breath wasn't so great after all.

Slowly, it all started to come together for Jack.

"You could have just said something," he said as he made a point to show Ianto the new propolis and tea tree toothpaste (the package boasted "a unique family-favourite formulation with a mild liquorice flavour.") he'd picked up.

Ianto just smiled and went about his filing.

Jack wondered if this wasn't all some sort of complicated game to Ianto, and if it was, where Jack could go to download the rules.


3. Ianto is afraid of water.

Jack called it "team building" but what it really was, was just an excuse to get out of the Hub and have a little fun. He booked the group on a boat tour of Cardiff Bay.

"Oh, come on!" he said when everyone protested. "How long have you lived here? Have any of you ever played tourist in your home town? It's fun."

Tosh relented first. "I probably could use a day away from staring at monitors," she said, reluctantly.

Gwen nodded in agreement. "It's been so quiet lately. It'll be good to get out and get some sun and fresh air."

"It's Cardiff Bay," Owen grumbled. "There's no such thing as fresh air and sun."

"Don't be a spoil sport, Owen. Even Ianto's going!" Jack threw an arm around Owen's shoulders and shook him playfully.

"Ianto is not going, sir. Ianto is staying behind to mind the Hub in case anything should happen." He spoke with bored indifference, and a hint of something that suggested he was hurt that Jack thought Ianto would even consider shirking his duties.

"Fine," Jack sighed and wondered why his team was so dead set against ever doing anything fun. "Owen, you can stay and babysit the Rift. Ianto, you can come with us."

"Can't we both stay?" Owen suggested. "I mean, what if something big happens and I can't handle it alone? I mean, because I might need... you know. Someone to hold a torch for me or something." He didn't look at all pleased to admit he might need help, even in theory.

Jack narrowed his eyes and flicked his gaze between the two men. There was something fishy going on. "One of you stays. The other has to go. No calling out sick. No 'forgetting'. No showing up after the boat's gone claiming you overslept. You will have fun, dammit!"

Jack did not miss the look Owen and Ianto exchanged just before Owen let out a sigh. "Fine. I'll go. Ianto can stay."

Later, after everyone had gone home, Jack took a walk. He found Ianto staring out over the water, standing with his hands clenched into fists and his shoulders visibly tight, even through his jacket.

Ianto was aware of Jack's approach. He recognised the sound of his footsteps and the scent of his cologne. "It's a completely irrational fear and it's not based on anything specific. At least not that I can remember," Ianto said without turning.

Jack stepped up beside Ianto and adopted a similar pose. "Still, you could have told me. I wouldn't have mocked you. Well, not as much as Owen probably mocked you."

"Owen's never mocked me about my fear of water."

"No?" Jack was genuinely surprised.

"He can't." Ianto looked sideways at Jack and gave him a sly smile. "I know what Owen's afraid of."


4. Ianto plays billiards.

It cost him nearly a hundred pounds, two promised dinners, and four rounds of drinks before Jack finally admitted that Ianto has an almost supernatural ability at billiards.

Jack made a silent vow to practice in secret until he was good enough to beat Ianto.

(and one thing he suspected)
5. Ianto is much less fragile and passive than he presents himself.

Jack suspected this about Ianto, and was more than a little relieved when he found out it was true. They were back from the Beacons -- had only been back a few hours.

Jack saw to Gwen, making sure she was safely home, and when he returned, he was surprised to find Ianto still in the Hub. He'd taken a shower and was wearing a clean shirt (just a tee-shirt, Jack noted) but the jeans still bore the dirt and blood of their "adventure".

"Ianto. I'm glad you're here."

"The rift never sleeps, sir." He sipped his coffee and reviewed the CCTV footage that had accumulated while they were gone.

"Apparently you don't sleep either." Jack leaned against the edge of Ianto's desk and looked down at him, studying him.

Ianto raised his eyes to meet Jack's. "Hello, Pot."

Jack laughed and put his hand on Ianto's shoulder. "Are you okay with everything?"

"Which everything would that be, sir?" Ianto returned to watching the images flicker across the screen, sped up so the people almost seemed to jump from position to position like a crude stop-animation film.

"The everything everything. Are you okay. Are we okay?"

Ianto arched an eyebrow.

"We, like Torchwood we." Jack explained a little too hastily, hands nervously gesturing. "Like, everyone. Are you okay with everyone and is everyone okay with you? No residual weirdness after... y'know."

"Lisa," Ianto said plainly. "Yes, I think so. Owen looks like he wants to kill me most of the time, but that's not unusual."

Jack slid down to the floor and rested his back against the desk. He looked up at Ianto, studying his profile, watching the shadowed movement of his eyes as they moved from screen to screen, observing the slight changes in posture and muscles as Ianto typed or used the mouse, and noticing the tight set of Ianto's jaw.

Jack leaned over and rested his head against Ianto's thigh. Ianto's right hand dropped down and the backs of his fingers lightly brushed across Jack's cheek. Then his fingertips traced the curve of Jack's ear.

"Ianto," he whispered.

Ianto jerked his hand away as if he'd been burnt. "Sorry. Sorry. I -"

Jack was shaking, drawing in great gulps of air like a drowning man. "Captain? Sir?" Ianto dropped next to him and held Jack's face between his palms. "Jack!"

Jack threw his arms around Ianto and held tight. "Sorry. I'm sorry, Ianto. Just a ... nightmare I guess. Does that ever happen to you? When you're so tired you start dreaming while you're still awake?"

"I think it happens to everyone on occasion," Ianto said as he managed to position himself between Jack and the desk so that Jack's back was against his chest. He wrapped his arms around Jack and spoke soothingly. "Want to talk about the nightmare?"

"Just a replay of what happened. How close we came to losing Gwen, Tosh, you... and that guy! That creepy fucking guy who did that because it made him happy. You know I've done some pretty disgusting things in my life. I've done things I'm not proud of, and I've taken more lives than I could even count, but never has it made me happy." He thought of the Daleks. "Not to kill an innocent person, at least." Even the Slitheen had been spared.

"You saved us, though. All of us." Ianto's voice was a warm buzz in his ear. "We're all right. We're okay." There was a subtle difference in the way he said "we're" the second time. Jack didn't think anything of it until he felt Ianto's fingers gently turning his head and Ianto's mouth pressed against his own.