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saoneTitle: Stupid Cupid
Author: Saone
Summary: Jack decides he wants to get Ianto something for Valentine's Day. That should be simple, right?
Rating: PG13ish
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Genre: Romance/Schmoop
Spoilers/Warnings: Set after first season
Notes: First time playing in this particular sandbox. Thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
wirrrn for the look through, and the title. *g*
Jack found it endlessly amusing that a race so overwhelmingly prudish, in a time so disgustingly
Puritan would have a holiday specifically dedicated to lovers. Oh, sure, Jack knew it was overblown, and commercialized, and just a sanitized version of an ancient fertility festival, but that still didn't stop the giddy joy he felt when he spied a two for one sale on edible body glitter at Passion.
He briefly imagined Ianto covered in honey-scented sparkles, skin glowing softly in the pale bedside light. A large grin unfurled across Jack's face. He reached for the glitter, but was stopped by another image, this of Ianto spending his post-coital snuggle time obsessively vacuuming every speck of rogue glitter from his usually immaculate, glitter-free apartment.
Jack frowned. No, that wouldn't do at all.
He glanced around the store and decided that none of the toys, or outfits, or accessories felt quite right this time. Not that Ianto wouldn't appreciate them, but...
Jack shook his head and started to walk out of the store.
A girl arranging displays by the front window looked on in shock. "You're not buying anything then?"
"Not this time."
"Are you well, Mr. Harkness?"
Jack had to grin at the true concern in the girl's voice. Maybe he had been frequenting this shop a bit too much in the past few months. "I'm fine. I just think it might be time for something different."
The girl's eyes widened. "Thinking about getting a ring, are you?"
"Not that different." Jack said quickly. He waved and before the girl could say anything else, stepped out into the chilly Cardiff morning.
*****
A ring. Jack snorted. Except... maybe jewelry was the way to go. A nice pair of gold cufflinks, or a new watch. Something posh, but not too blingy. Jack made a mental list of all the jewelry stores in Cardiff. He had to get back to the Hub now, but after lunch, he promised himself he would venture out into the wilds of holiday shopping once again.
*****
It's not like Jack usually left everything to the last minute. When it came to gifts, especially for people close to him, he was a meticulous planner. He knew what he wanted, where to get it, and how much it would cost, with tax. But this was... different. He hadn't
decided to give Ianto anything until that very morning; sated and sweaty, fingers carding through short, dark hair.
Gift giving would mark a change in their relationship. One that Ianto might not even want. After all, they had passed through Christmas, with no acknowledgment, and Jack was certain that Ianto had had at least one birthday since they started this thing between them. But, this was Valentine's Day, and Jack took lovers' holidays very seriously.
*****
Jack sometimes wondered if he really hadn't been resurrected at all. If Susie's final victim was wrong, and there was something after death. Hell did exist, and Jack was in it, atoning for all his multitude of past sins by playing babysitter to a group of maladjusted, socially inept, Thirtysomethings.
"Gwen, put that down. The removenator won't just take Owen's clothes off, it'll take his skin off. Owen, I'm sure anything you might have to say is scandalous, completely obscene, and nothing we haven't all heard before. Repeatedly. Tosh, I know that guy from the bar didn't call you, but you are not going to use my computers to track him through the CCTV network.
Stalk him on your own time."
The only bright spot in his morning had been wearing a warm smile and delivering a cup of coffee.
And just those thirty seconds Ianto had graced Jack with his presence had him flying on a cloud for the next hour, until Owen tried to use what he thought were a pair of X-Ray glasses and nearly burned his eyes out.
*****
Jack visited four different jewelry stores before he finally gave up the hunt. Nothing he saw was right. Nothing was... Ianto-y enough.
The sun was making it's way across the sky and Jack was starting to feel the first pings of desperation.
Flowers? No. Chocolates? No. A funny, utterly raunchy card? No. A sweet, understated card? No. A promise to love, and cherish, and do better next year? That could be a winner.
*****
Jack arrived back at the tourist center just in time to see Tosh flying out the door, a piece of paper clutched in her hand, and a guilty look on her face.
Jack sighed. "Go get him. Just try not to get arrested."
Ianto raised an eyebrow as Tosh left. "Was that wise, sir?"
"If I stopped her she only would have obsessed over him more. This way, she can get him out of her system."
Ianto raised the other eyebrow. "And, if she doesn't?"
"Are you purposely trying to ruin my already rotten day, Ianto?" Jack asked.
"I'm dreadfully sorry, sir."
Jack rolled his eyes. "The whole contrite thing would work better if you weren't wearing a smirk. You might want to practice that."
"I'll get right on that, sir." Ianto said.
"Hmmm." Jack thought for a moment, then grinned lasciviously. "Speaking of, are we still on for tonight?"
"As always." Ianto said.
"Good. And, Ianto..."
"Sir?" Ianto waited for his next order, and when none came, he frowned. "Jack?"
Jack shook his head. "Keep an ear out. If Tosh does get arrested, I want to know."
"Of course, sir."
Jack nodded and headed down to his office. They hadn't made any special plans. Ianto wasn't expecting anything. So why did Jack feel so crummy?
*****
The sex was, as usual, amazing.
Jack collapsed onto his back, chest heaving, muscles sore. The formally crisp, cool sheets, were sweaty and wrinkled, and smelled so deliciously of sex and Ianto, Jack wanted to have them framed, and hung above his bed as something his own linens could aspire to.
Ianto was stretched out beside him looking sleepy and content, and Jack suddenly wished he had bought that body glitter, and the cufflinks, and flowers, and chocolates, and any schmoopy card he could have gotten his hands on. Ianto deserved everything. But, there was only one thing Jack could offer at the moment.
"Ianto?"
"Hmmm?"
"I want to tell you something." Jack took a deep breath. "My name, my real name is-" Jack stilled as two of Ianto's fingers pressed against his lips.
"Don't."
"But, I-"
"I don't want to know." Ianto said, eyes serious, face passive.
"Oh." Jack tried to keep his expression schooled into something resembling indifference, but as he watched Ianto's face soften, he knew had hed failed.
"Jack, I appreciate the offer. Believe me, I do. More than I can express." Ianto gently stroked his lover's cheek. "But I don't need to know, who you really are,
what you really are. I know that you're here with me, and that, evidently, you care about me enough to want to share you secrets. I don't need more."
"You don't want to know the truth?"
"I know our truth." Ianto said. "That's enough."
Jack stared at him, as a strange sort of warmth blossomed in his chest. "You are a remarkable human being, Ianto Jones."
"I know, that's why you love me."
For an instant, Jack's heart stopped, then stuttered briefly as he let the realization go through him. "Yeah." he said. "I guess I do. So, Happy Valentine's Day, Ianto."
"And to you, Jack." Ianto said. "But next year, just
get me roses."
"Will do."
Author: Saone
Summary: Jack decides he wants to get Ianto something for Valentine's Day. That should be simple, right?
Rating: PG13ish
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Genre: Romance/Schmoop
Spoilers/Warnings: Set after first season
Notes: First time playing in this particular sandbox. Thanks to
wirrrn for the look through, and the title. *g*Jack found it endlessly amusing that a race so overwhelmingly prudish, in a time so disgustingly
Puritan would have a holiday specifically dedicated to lovers. Oh, sure, Jack knew it was overblown, and commercialized, and just a sanitized version of an ancient fertility festival, but that still didn't stop the giddy joy he felt when he spied a two for one sale on edible body glitter at Passion.
He briefly imagined Ianto covered in honey-scented sparkles, skin glowing softly in the pale bedside light. A large grin unfurled across Jack's face. He reached for the glitter, but was stopped by another image, this of Ianto spending his post-coital snuggle time obsessively vacuuming every speck of rogue glitter from his usually immaculate, glitter-free apartment.
Jack frowned. No, that wouldn't do at all.
He glanced around the store and decided that none of the toys, or outfits, or accessories felt quite right this time. Not that Ianto wouldn't appreciate them, but...
Jack shook his head and started to walk out of the store.
A girl arranging displays by the front window looked on in shock. "You're not buying anything then?"
"Not this time."
"Are you well, Mr. Harkness?"
Jack had to grin at the true concern in the girl's voice. Maybe he had been frequenting this shop a bit too much in the past few months. "I'm fine. I just think it might be time for something different."
The girl's eyes widened. "Thinking about getting a ring, are you?"
"Not that different." Jack said quickly. He waved and before the girl could say anything else, stepped out into the chilly Cardiff morning.
*****
A ring. Jack snorted. Except... maybe jewelry was the way to go. A nice pair of gold cufflinks, or a new watch. Something posh, but not too blingy. Jack made a mental list of all the jewelry stores in Cardiff. He had to get back to the Hub now, but after lunch, he promised himself he would venture out into the wilds of holiday shopping once again.
*****
It's not like Jack usually left everything to the last minute. When it came to gifts, especially for people close to him, he was a meticulous planner. He knew what he wanted, where to get it, and how much it would cost, with tax. But this was... different. He hadn't
decided to give Ianto anything until that very morning; sated and sweaty, fingers carding through short, dark hair.
Gift giving would mark a change in their relationship. One that Ianto might not even want. After all, they had passed through Christmas, with no acknowledgment, and Jack was certain that Ianto had had at least one birthday since they started this thing between them. But, this was Valentine's Day, and Jack took lovers' holidays very seriously.
*****
Jack sometimes wondered if he really hadn't been resurrected at all. If Susie's final victim was wrong, and there was something after death. Hell did exist, and Jack was in it, atoning for all his multitude of past sins by playing babysitter to a group of maladjusted, socially inept, Thirtysomethings.
"Gwen, put that down. The removenator won't just take Owen's clothes off, it'll take his skin off. Owen, I'm sure anything you might have to say is scandalous, completely obscene, and nothing we haven't all heard before. Repeatedly. Tosh, I know that guy from the bar didn't call you, but you are not going to use my computers to track him through the CCTV network.
Stalk him on your own time."
The only bright spot in his morning had been wearing a warm smile and delivering a cup of coffee.
And just those thirty seconds Ianto had graced Jack with his presence had him flying on a cloud for the next hour, until Owen tried to use what he thought were a pair of X-Ray glasses and nearly burned his eyes out.
*****
Jack visited four different jewelry stores before he finally gave up the hunt. Nothing he saw was right. Nothing was... Ianto-y enough.
The sun was making it's way across the sky and Jack was starting to feel the first pings of desperation.
Flowers? No. Chocolates? No. A funny, utterly raunchy card? No. A sweet, understated card? No. A promise to love, and cherish, and do better next year? That could be a winner.
*****
Jack arrived back at the tourist center just in time to see Tosh flying out the door, a piece of paper clutched in her hand, and a guilty look on her face.
Jack sighed. "Go get him. Just try not to get arrested."
Ianto raised an eyebrow as Tosh left. "Was that wise, sir?"
"If I stopped her she only would have obsessed over him more. This way, she can get him out of her system."
Ianto raised the other eyebrow. "And, if she doesn't?"
"Are you purposely trying to ruin my already rotten day, Ianto?" Jack asked.
"I'm dreadfully sorry, sir."
Jack rolled his eyes. "The whole contrite thing would work better if you weren't wearing a smirk. You might want to practice that."
"I'll get right on that, sir." Ianto said.
"Hmmm." Jack thought for a moment, then grinned lasciviously. "Speaking of, are we still on for tonight?"
"As always." Ianto said.
"Good. And, Ianto..."
"Sir?" Ianto waited for his next order, and when none came, he frowned. "Jack?"
Jack shook his head. "Keep an ear out. If Tosh does get arrested, I want to know."
"Of course, sir."
Jack nodded and headed down to his office. They hadn't made any special plans. Ianto wasn't expecting anything. So why did Jack feel so crummy?
*****
The sex was, as usual, amazing.
Jack collapsed onto his back, chest heaving, muscles sore. The formally crisp, cool sheets, were sweaty and wrinkled, and smelled so deliciously of sex and Ianto, Jack wanted to have them framed, and hung above his bed as something his own linens could aspire to.
Ianto was stretched out beside him looking sleepy and content, and Jack suddenly wished he had bought that body glitter, and the cufflinks, and flowers, and chocolates, and any schmoopy card he could have gotten his hands on. Ianto deserved everything. But, there was only one thing Jack could offer at the moment.
"Ianto?"
"Hmmm?"
"I want to tell you something." Jack took a deep breath. "My name, my real name is-" Jack stilled as two of Ianto's fingers pressed against his lips.
"Don't."
"But, I-"
"I don't want to know." Ianto said, eyes serious, face passive.
"Oh." Jack tried to keep his expression schooled into something resembling indifference, but as he watched Ianto's face soften, he knew had hed failed.
"Jack, I appreciate the offer. Believe me, I do. More than I can express." Ianto gently stroked his lover's cheek. "But I don't need to know, who you really are,
what you really are. I know that you're here with me, and that, evidently, you care about me enough to want to share you secrets. I don't need more."
"You don't want to know the truth?"
"I know our truth." Ianto said. "That's enough."
Jack stared at him, as a strange sort of warmth blossomed in his chest. "You are a remarkable human being, Ianto Jones."
"I know, that's why you love me."
For an instant, Jack's heart stopped, then stuttered briefly as he let the realization go through him. "Yeah." he said. "I guess I do. So, Happy Valentine's Day, Ianto."
"And to you, Jack." Ianto said. "But next year, just
get me roses."
"Will do."
