TITLE: Secret Santa
AUTHOR: Gerodie Phoenix
CATEGORY: Angst and Romance
PAIRING: Jack/Ianto
WORDS: 1778
RATING: 15
SUMMARY: Jack forgets Ianto's present for Christmas, made worse by the fact that they're arguing.
NOTES: Uh People's thoughts are in italics and there's spoilers of Countrycide and Cyberwoman.

***

There was something about Christmas that Ianto Jones loved, the way in which for the briefest of moment's things seemed easier and people seemed like they actually cared, but yet as he stood with his colleagues he couldn't quite get in the mood despite the festivities going on around.

He'd like to think he wasn't materialistic, that it was the thought that counted to him and so on, but when the others had all received gifts as a result of Gwen's secret Santa idea and he was the only one who hadn't he'd been more than a little pissed off. He'd spent what had felt like days picking out Owen's gift, shopping for someone he just got on with had been beyond difficult but he'd managed and found some immature gadget the doctor had actually liked, and yet all he gave a damn about was why he hadn't gotten a gift in the end.

Probably got Owen; git wouldn't bother if his life depended on it and it's not like Jack would give a shit.

They were on less than speaking terms and it was becoming obvious to everyone else. Jack had tried to make small talk in the car and Ianto being the stubborn one had remained silent. He couldn't quite remember why they weren't talking again, only that he was sure it was Jack's fault again. It was usually the same argument, Ianto feeling as if he was nothing more to Jack than a toy to play with whenever he got bored and Jack would in his usually calm demeanour tell him he was talking shit.

I'm the one who talks shit? Son of a bitch never told the truth to us once.

It had been 4 months since they'd started to sneak around together, getting rid of the others when they wanted to hook up or sneaking off with the excuse they had some top secret task to carry out and Ianto would be lying if he said he didn't care what Jack said, or more to the point what he didn't say. He'd fallen for him hard, which had come as a surprise since losing Lisa and Jack's part in it, and he hated the way Jack didn't show him the way he felt or tell him the slightest thing about himself. He'd tried, god how he'd tried, to get him to open up but all attempts had failed and had resulted into arguments that played out for days, disturbing the others in the process as they gave one another the silent treatment then exchanged hurtful comments toward the other; making things more than awkward around the hub.

"So Ianto what did your secret Santa get you? You still haven't told us."

There was something about Gwen's curiosity that invited trouble whenever she spoke. It was unintentional of course and most often she was trying to be civil but he was in no mood and all he really wanted to do was go home, ignore Jack for another 3 or 4 days and get pissed over Christmas. It wasn't exactly the most romantic or ideal Christmas he'd celebrated but it sounded pretty damn good at that point.

"Hey could we talk about this later? I'd like to get back indoors before my bloody fingers drop off love."

"Oh come on it's not like this bloody alien is going to show up anytime soon Owen; come on Ianto tell us."

Her curiosity was endearing sometimes but Ianto didn't have the energy to be nice and Jack's peaked interest did nothing more than to agitate him further; there were moments when all he wanted to do was to punch Jack and this was one of them; somehow he didn't care that they were surrounded by at least a 200 revellers celebrating Christmas Eve in the centre of Cardiff, some families with young children, because all he wanted was to make Jack hurt the way he was at that moment.

"Really I don't think it matters."

"No come on tell us, keep us entertained for a few minutes at least."

"I doubt you'd care sir." He hated arguing with Ianto if he were honest, especially when the younger man was in the right as always, but somehow Jack didn't know any other way to be. He wanted to open up to him, he really did, but he didn't know how to and he wasn't sure Ianto would see him the same way if he told him the things he'd done, the places he'd been in his life; there were things that Jack Harkness could tolerate but Ianto Jones hating him wasn't one of them. "It's not that important anyway, sure you got a good gift though."

His agitation in his voice was apparent and Jack knew he was angry as soon as he'd referred to him as sir again; Ianto hadn't done so ever since they'd started hooking up. Sometimes Jack wanted to let him know it was more than just sex and that he needed him but he'd chosen not to for not wanting to fuck things up. Often when Jack tried to be honest it ended up in disaster but with Ianto it didn't matter, he fucked up no matter what and there were days when he felt as if the Welshman hadn't forgiven him for what had happened with Lisa.

"Well I'd like to know Ianto, can't have my staff keeping things from me."

"Because that would just fucking kill you wouldn't it? The ever powerful Jack Harkness needs to know everything now after all."

It was fair to say Gwen and the others were slightly taken back by Ianto's attitude, the glare he shot Jack as he leant against the cold metal bar almost unlike him. They'd noticed things had been different between them but for fear of making things worse Gwen had kept quiet about it; the last thing she wanted was to make things worse when she couldn't get things in her own life right. As she turned her attention away for a moment, her eyes locking with Owen's as they questioned why Ianto was being so unlike himself, some of the revellers began to watch them as the ever impending argument between Jack and Ianto began to brew over again.

"You don't get it Jack."

"Enlighten me then Ianto."

"All I want is to know something about you, how about you feel. Is that so much to ask? I tell you things and you give no response and in the end all I am is a fucking toy to you. ‘Good old Ianto, clears up our shit as usual, keeps the place clean and still there for a quick fuck at the end of the day.' I imagined myself to be more than just some mysterious traveller's plaything but no, fucking stupid me ends up being just that."

There was something about Gwen's curiosity that Toshiko and Owen hated at moments and this was one of them; from one stupid question had resulted in an awkward, revealing argument between Jack and Ianto with a crowd of party goers watching them and that was the last thing any of the Torchwood crew could be bothered with.

"You're far from a quick fuck." If there were things to say that would make things worse that was without doubt one of them. The humiliation in the younger man's eyes, the anger he felt toward obvious that Jack cursed his inability to open up. "And you still didn't answer Gwen's question."

As the words left Jack's mouth Ianto felt beyond pissed off, confused at how Jack could even ask such a stupid question when they were arguing. He'd had enough and the lack of alien sighting wasn't helping; shaking his head as he looked to Jack he walked away, unfazed that his job was probably on the line for doing so.

Damnit Ianto stop walking away.

"I didn't get a present Jack, but then you probably knew that because you know everything after all."

And that's when he remembered, felt the flashback of picking Ianto's name out of Gwen's hat and smiling as he'd ran through the ‘gifts' he could give his lover for Christmas. In the midst of the arguments, the chasing aliens and trying to save Cardiff from all the chaos, he'd completely forgotten about it all. Jack may have been many things but uncaring was not one of them, which was the one thing he needed Ianto to know.

Cursing under his breath he chased after Ianto, not caring that the whole scene was probably playing out like some cheesy romance from the 90's; as long as Jack ended up being the hero at the end he didn't give a damn who was watching. He was sure Gwen and the others would get out a kick of finding out he and Ianto were sleeping together but that didn't matter at that moment and he knew that whatever they said he could always reveal the small detail he knew about Gwen and Owen's affair to keep them quiet.

What is it with the Welsh and walking away so damn much?

Resting his hand on Ianto's arm he smiled slightly despite the look of hurt and anger on his face as he turned to face him. There was one thing he hated most and that was to see Ianto of all people hurting so much. The words didn't come easy and somehow for the arguing they had been doing Ianto understood that.

"Why are you so bad at relationships?"

"I wish I knew."

"Oh Jack...I wish I knew what to do with you."

Stepping closer to Ianto Jack slid his arm around his waist and rested his forehead against Ianto's; there were moments when Jack realised how much Ianto meant to him and this had to be one of them. Sighing heavily he pulled back slightly and caressing Ianto's cheek smiled to him before catching his lips with his own and kissing him passionately, Jack thankful when Ianto didn't pull back from him. There were guys Jack had kissed who had been pretty goddamn good but Ianto was without a doubt the best.

"Sorry I forgot your present."

"I'm sure you can think of a way to make it up; I've still got the stop watch after all." There were a hundred things Ianto wanted to say, a hundred different things that he needed for the other man to know and all he could think of was three little words, three words that could potentially destroy it all but he needed to say regardless of the consequences. "Jack I, I…"

"I know Ianto."

***