Title: Wednesday Is Family Game Night
Author: nakaleteme
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: All characters and the Hub belong to the brilliant Russell T Davis. If anyone is willing to sell Jack and Ianto, though, I will be the first bidder. Story concept is belonging to I.
Word Count: 1,504
Authors Notes: Oh the silliness. This was fun to write because I got to include the others more than a lot of my previous drabbles. Owen always made Janto that much better because of his comments… ;~;
Summary: Sequel to Go Strip; The Torchwood team has nothing to do for once and decides to play cards. Trouble ensues, courtesy of everyone's favourite pairing.***
"I'm so bored, I'd have fun watching paint dry at this point. Why can't we just go home?
Jack shot a glare at Owen, rolling his eyes when the medic attempted to pout.
"Suck it up. Weather's been weird lately and I don't want you going off to drown yourself in case I need you."
"He's right about one thing, though," piped up Tosh, who was currently playing Minesweeper on her computer. "We should do something to pass the time."
Gwen just agreed with a nod, soon followed by a yawn that emphasized the point.
"We could play cards."
Jack swiveled in his chair to look towards the voice and smiled when he saw Ianto carrying a tray of mugs. "It's not like there's much else to do on a Wednesday afternoon."
"Poker?"
"Black Jack?"
"Bridge?"
Everyone turned to look at Tosh, who just shrugged. "It's a fun game."
Owen shook his head. "Too much thinking."
"That's your excuse for everything," Gwen said with another yawn.
The doctor opened his mouth to argue only to be cut off by Jack clearing his throat.
"I think we should play Go Fish."
Three sets of eyes stared at him like he was crazy while Ianto choked on his coffee.
"That kiddy game?"
The captain rolled his eyes. "You're all acting like children anyway, so it doesn't matter either way."
They all groaned while Jack pranced to his office to grab a deck of cards.
"Why would he be so excited about that stupid game?" Owen wondered bitterly, glancing at the empty coffee mug Gwen had handed to him to wash and thrusting it towards Ianto. The Welshman took it without a thought, his mind preoccupied with worries about Jack and Go Fish.
"Earth to tea boy!" Owen's harsh London accent cut through his daze. "Gwen asked for a refill, and only you can tame that beast of a coffee machine.
Sighing, Ianto dutifully returned to the coffee station to start work on another round for everyone.
A moment later he heard Jack bursting out of his office with a triumphant "found them!" and imagined the sight of the immortal brandishing a deck of cards. Smiling to himself, Ianto got to work on the coffee while humming a soft tune under his breath. While he was frothing milk for Gwen's mocha, Jack jumped into the kitchenette and wrapped his arms around the Welshman's waist, startling him into a small exclamation of surprise.
"We're waiting for you, Yan!" the captain explained, resting his chin on the younger man's broad shoulder.
"I'll just be another moment, I'm about done with ours. Mind taking Tosh and Gwen theirs?"
"Aye, captain!" Jack replied, a twinkle in his eye as he watched the Welshman move about the kitchen.
Jack slid up behind Ianto, leaning forward to softly kiss the back of his neck, before he picked up the girls' coffee and slipped from the kitchenette. Ianto finished the rest of the coffee wearing a soft blush, whistling softly and slightly off-key. He returned to the workstations a few minutes later to find the area empty. After peeking down at the autopsy bay and into Jack's office, he noticed the faint echo of laughter coming from the direction of the boardroom.
"The coffee is heavenly as always, Ianto," greeted Tosh as he walked into the underground room. Setting down his tray, he handed Jack his favorite blue and white striped mug before sitting down with his own.
"Something up?" he asked, directing the question at Jack. When the captain replied with a puzzled look, Ianto simply gestured around the room with his free hand.
"Oh. Boardroom. More space, that's all."
The Welshman nodded, sipping his coffee as silence filled the room. He heard Gwen slurp at her mocha before giggling at the bit of whipped cream on Tosh's nose. Owen just rolled his eyes and reached over to hand the hacker a napkin.
"As fascinating as this all is," commented the medic sarcastically, "I thought we were playing cards."
Jack seemed to be pulled out of a daze at the reminder, sitting up straighter and pulling out the deck of cards.
"You all know the rules?"
The team nodded dutifully, Ianto pinching the bridge of his nose with a sigh.
This is going to be interesting. Painful to explain, yes, but interesting.
Half an hour later, Jack had been the loser five games in a row. He had first pulled off his coat, then slipped off both shoes, then shed his waist coat and suspenders. The three other team members had been unaware of his true motive, figuring he had been getting comfortable or possibly hot. Ianto, on the other hand, was secretly wondering at Jack's bad luck. When they have played a few weeks earlier, the captain had won more rounds than Ianto could now remember.
"Go Fish," said Owen, breaking the Welshman from his thoughts. The doctor was being surprisingly competitive for someone who though the game was for kids.
Jack chucked a card at Owen, thumping his elbow down on the table and resting his head on his hand.
"Sore loser, Jack?" Gwen asked sweetly, batting her eyes with a laugh.
"It's harder to win with more people!"
"Your own fault for not having enough pairs!"
"Well read 'em and weep, ladies!" triumphed Owen a second later, giving Ianto a pointed look with the final word. The Welshman just rolled his eyes and lay down his cards, growing more anxious when he saw that Jack had lost yet again. On one hand he was sad to see the captain pout in defeat, but he was also nervous about him stripping further. His heart skipped a beat when he noticed Jack had started to unbutton his dark blue dress shirt. Tosh was the first to notice besides Ianto, her cheeks tinted red to match her crimson dress.
"Er, Jack?" Gwen questioned when her eyes caught the motion of him tugging off one sleeve.
Pausing, he looked up at his staring team in curiosity.
"… What?"
"I know it's hot in here, but couldn't you change the thermostat instead?" Gwen suggested with a light blush.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Jack replied while continuing to strip. "I'm just playing the game. Loser strips, right?"
Owen rolled his eyes and threw down his cards. "What wonky rules are you playing by?"
Ianto tried to meet Jack's eyes to silently plead him to think before he spoke, but it was too late.
"Ianto's."
The boardroom went silent as all eyes fell on the blushing Welshman. Tosh smiled almost appreciatively while Gwen held back giggles next to a disgusted Owen.
"That's a sick bit of kink, that is," grumbled the doctor as he stood to leave. "Stripe Fish. What will they think of next?"
Laughter suddenly filled the room as Gwen uncovered her mouth, unable to hold back any longer. Tosh giggled along with her, collecting the forgotten cards and stacking them into a neat deck.
"I'll return these to your office, Jack," she said with a chuckle, pulling Gwen from the room and back towards the main Hub.
After a moment of silence, Jack stood to start pulling on his discarded clothes. Ianto pushed back his chair and stood as well, gathering empty coffee mugs on a tray.
"So," Jack started, breaking the silence, "You don't actually strip with Go Fish?"
The Welshman blushed and looked up, unable to read the captain's expression. If he wasn't mistake, it looked like a mix of mild approval and possibly respect, but it could have been general pissed-off-ness. Sometimes they were too similar to tell.
"No, not generally," Ianto replied, trying to sound matter-a-fact instead of with a shaking tone that would have gone well with the current state of his hands. He knew Jack wouldn't do anything to punish Ianto for the public humiliation (which he subjected himself to daily), but he was worried about the captain's reaction nonetheless.
Jack's face split with a grin. "I guess that's what I get for cheating."
His heart skipping a beat, Ianto couldn't help put to snap his head up and stare at his boss.
"What?"
"Last time we played. I could see your cards in the reflection from a mirror on Tosh's desk."
Ianto sighed silently in relief before pausing and focusing on Jack.
"You cheated."
"Yes."
"So I was forced to get naked in front of you?"
"… Yes."
"And you then proceeded to ravish me, blaming me for losing and provoking you?"
"Er… yes."
Ianto smoothed the front of his jacket, brushing off imaginary dust and straightening his favorite red tie. Picking up his tray of mugs, he shrugged and made his way to the boardroom door.
"Can't say I have any complaints. It's my own fault for making up the rules."
As he left, he could see Jack grinning widely and shuffling the deck of cards, giving the Welshman a bittersweet notion that the captain had discovered his new favorite card game.
***
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- Amazon.com - Torchwood: Children of Earth
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