"Come Fly With Me" Chapter 19
Feb. 12th, 2011 08:38 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wanda1969Title: "Come Fly With Me"
Rating: This chapter’s safe for work. PG.
Spoilers/Disclaimers : Torchwood, belongs to the BBC and RTD, I’m just borrowing the characters- I own nothing here, nor do I make any money! So please don't prosecute!
Summary: Torchwood characters in a story set in the glamorous world of international travel! Fluffy, romantic and cheesy in the extreme, I suspect!
A/N: This chapter and chapter 20 were going to be posted together, but I seem to have gone over today’s random word limit for posting- so chapter 20 will posted asap, too. Not much TIA or Jack in this one. Corrections welcomed!
Chapter list: http://wanda1969.dreamwidth.org/1863.html
Chapter 19
***
The door to the small, red brick, terraced house was opened before Ianto had even reached the gate to the tiny front garden. He’d called his mother when he’d landed at Cardiff Airport, and Beth Jones had obviously been looking out for his arrival ever since that call. As he reached the door he was wrapped in a tight hug. Ianto made up his mind to never leave his visits home for so long. It had been twelve months or so since he’d seen her, and although they’d spoken on the ‘phone regularly since then, Ianto felt guilty- he and Rhiannon, along with Johnny and the kids, were her only close family since the death of his father. At first it was true that he’d been settling into the regime of regular long haul flights, but since late summer his only excuse (unvoiced) had been Jack.
He took his suitcase up to his old room and hung up some of the clothes before going back downstairs for a simple meal of spaghetti bolognaise.
When they’d finished dinner, he settled onto the sofa in the front room with his mam and one of the cans of lager that she had bought in for the weekend with the family. They chatted about Rhi and Johnny and the kids, and some of the exotic destinations he’d visited in the last year. He had a few photos on his ‘phone and Beth looked at them, gushing over the Petronas Towers, downtown Bangkok and Jakarta, Cambodia… the furthest she’d travelled to was the Canaries, when his dad was still alive, and he made a mental note to himself to see if he could arrange for her and her friend, Di, to have a weekend away in a good hotel using his Torchwood staff flying allowance. He was grateful that the conversation didn’t stray towards his personal life. Ianto wasn’t fooled, though- he knew that the full onslaught would take place tomorrow when his mam and Rhiannon got together.
When he settled himself into his room later that night, he called Jack, and was pleased that the other man appeared to be just as much at a loss with what to do without Ianto there, as he was without Jack there.
***
Thankfully, Beth Jones hadn’t got a turkey in to make up for the missed Christmas dinner, however the meal was traditional in many ways: a cured ham, new potatoes, cauliflower cheese and vegetables, including Brussels sprouts. Ianto helped her prepare the vegetables in the morning, insisting that she shouldn’t have gone to this much trouble. Secretly, he would have preferred a light meal- maybe something Mediterranean with less meat- but he wasn’t going to say that when his mam was obviously making up for the delayed family get-together.
It was after two in the afternoon when Johnny, Rhiannon and the kids arrived, parking their beaten-up Rover saloon outside the house.
The belated Christmas continued with the exchange of presents: Rhiannon and his mam seemed overjoyed by the Spa Day at the St David’s Hotel that Ianto had bought them both, and the £30 voucher for ‘Gaming World’ went down well with David as he thanked his Uncle before continuing to play with his Game Boy. After hugging him enthusiastically, Mischa eagerly ripped open the packaging on the two limited edition Barbie dolls that Ianto had picked up at Singapore airport. Johnny gratefully received a large crate of bottles of Peroni.
Ianto’s own presents included a surprisingly good quality red/blue shot silk shirt from his mother (he dreaded to think how long she’d had to save up for it), a DVD box set of David Tennant’s first outing with Doctor Who and a bottle of Bombay Sapphire from Rhi and Johnny. There were token presents from Mischa and David- a bottle of scent for Beth and a bottle of Farenheit for Ianto.
***
“Ianto’s been showing me pictures of his travels…” Beth started as they all tucked into dinner.
“Don’t be giving Rhi any ideas,” Johnny said with a mouthful of potatoes. “She’ll be wanting to go somewhere a bit posher than Benidorm at this rate.”
“You’re a cheapskate Johnny Davies!” Rhiannon said good naturedly. All the time they’d been married, Johnny had never really held down a job for that long, and the Davies family counted themselves lucky if they got further than Barry Island for a long weekend. “Anyway, the kids’d never cope with longer than a couple of hours on a ‘plane, so I don’t think you’ve got much to worry about on that front.”
“You’re right there- most of my flights are about thirteen hours or so. A bit too long for most children.”
Johnny took a drink from his can of lager, and nodded over to the small couch where his kids were sat glued to the small portable TV on the sideboard, plates balanced on their knees, oblivious to the adults’ conversation at the table. “David’d be bored thirteen minutes after take-off!”
“Thirteen hours. I don’t know how you put up with it, Ianto...” his mam mused, as if she couldn’t even contemplate what it was like to be on a ‘plane for so long.
“And being away from home over half the time. It’s no wonder you don’t have any time for socialising,” his sister stressed the last word, leaving Ianto in no doubt that what she actually meant was ‘having a girlfriend’.
“I do have friends, you know, Rhi!”
“I didn’t say that you didn’t, but all this flying…You know, I think you should look at finishing that Open University degree, get a proper job, settle down. You were always the clever one in this family. Being cabin crew can’t be that challenging for you…”
“Leave the man alone, Rhiannon- he’s probably enjoying sowing his wild oats, travelling round the world... If I knew what I know now…” Johnny sighed and then was quickly silenced by a threatening sideways glance from his wife. “Only joking, love. I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he quickly finished his can of beer and got to his feet and headed towards the ‘fridge. “Want a lager, Ianto?”
“Cheers, Johnny.” Luckily, his mam asked Rhiannon how Mischa and David were doing at school just then, and the subject of conversation had changed by the time Johnny returned to the table with the cans, two wine glasses and a bottle of Lambrusco- “for the ‘girls’,” he’d said winking at Beth.
Later, Ianto sat on the sofa in the living room with Rhiannon while Johnny played with the kids, and his mum bustled about in the kitchen washing up after refusing all offers of help from the guests.
“…and that’s the Raffles in Phnom Penh…” he said as she looked at the photo on his ‘phone.
“Wow, it’s like a palace! I bet me and Johnny couldn’t afford a night there even if we saved up for five years!”
“I’m not sure I could if Torchwood weren’t paying for it,” Ianto said. It wasn’t strictly true- his Torchwood salary was significantly more generous than the industry standard- but he knew money was tight in his sister’s household and he wasn’t going to make it look like he was showing off.
“And where’s this one?” she said flicking to the next picture of a golden temple, glittering in the sun.
“That’s Bangkok…” The mobile in her hand beeped, signaling the arrival of a text and she passed it back to her brother. Rhiannon didn’t miss the soft smile that played on his face as he quickly read the message, before handing the ‘phone back.
“Don’t you need to text them back?”
“Oh, no. It’s nothing important, just a mate sending me a joke- and not a very funny one at that,” he added, stopping Rhi from asking what the non-existent joke was. “I can get back to them later. That one’s in Hong Kong,” he continued, pointing towards the screen.
It was just before midnight when Ianto left to walk the half mile to the King’s Head where he’d left his luggage and the hire car when he’d checked in earlier in the afternoon. His mam’s house had barely been big enough when he and Rhi were living there, and with her and Johnny and the kids staying over, there was literally no room at the inn- not even on the sofa in the front room.
***
Ianto awoke at seven thirty and flung his arm across the bed only to find that the other half of the bed was empty. He opened his eyes and looked blearily around the room, disappointed to remember that he wasn’t at home- or at Jack’s. He swung his legs out of the bed and quickly filled the small kettle that had been sitting on the chest of drawers and went to shower. Twenty minutes later he was dressed and sitting on the bed watching the early morning news as he sipped at the tasteless instant coffee he’d made with one of the complimentary sachets in his room. By nine o’ clock he’d checked out and was sat at the dining table with his family as Beth Jones dished out a very traditionally Welsh breakfast, complete with laverbread.
Rhiannon, Johnny, Mischa and David left straight after breakfast to go back to Cardiff and get ready for the barbeque; Ianto was going to drop Beth off at their house after lunch and then check into his second hotel in two days. He was starting to think that this weekend was turning out to be more tiring than the constant cycle of flights and stop-overs when he was working.
***
Ianto lay on his bed at the Glendower Hotel and called Jack.
“Hi, gorgeous,” the familiar American voice drawled.
“Hi, Jack,” Ianto laughed. It had taken him a while to get used to being called ‘gorgeous’, especially by another man, but now he was well and truly used to Jack’s comments.
“How’s it going down there?”
“It’s been good to see everyone, and they all seem to have liked their presents. But I’ve not given Johnny his Cardiff Blues shirt yet. Thought I’d leave that for today.”
“He’ll love it. So you’re not at the barbeque yet?”
“Nope. I’m at the hotel. Thought I’d get changed and have a bit of a rest before that treat!”
“Hey, it won’t be that bad… you’ll enjoy it once you’re there.”
“I know,” Ianto sighed. “I’m… I’m just missing you a bit,” he admitted.
“If it helps, I’m really missing you… it’s kind of lonely here.”
Ianto’s heart swelled a little at Jack’s comment; they’d been seeing each other for months now, but he knew that he wasn’t good at expressing his feelings at the best of times.
He tried his best to sound confident. “Good. Wouldn’t want to think you hadn’t even noticed I wasn’t even there…”
“Of course I’ve noticed- I had to make my own coffee. And can I tell you it was shit?!”
Ianto smiled. “You never did take any notice when I tried to show you how to operate that machine, did you?”
“Maybe… I’ve always got a bit… distracted…”
“You’re so easy…”
“If only…”
Ianto glanced at his wristwatch. “Is that the time? I’ve got to have a wash and get changed…”
“Don’t start me off thinking about that…”
“Like I said, you’re far too easy. What’re you up to today ?” Ianto was starting to feel as if he could easily, and rather pleasantly, be waylaid by the conversation, and quickly changed the subject matter.
“Oh, y’know… doing a bit of online banking, laundry… the usual time off stuff. But without the fun parts.” There was a wistful tone to Jack’s voice.
“Same here- the fun bit, I mean. And I was hoping we could make up for that on Tuesday…”
“Mmm- me, too. It’s a date Mr Jones!”
“Good. I'll hold you to it, Captain Harkness… but I’ve gotta get a move on now. Mam’ll think I’ve abandoned her at Rhi’s!”
“OK, get going. Call you later, yeah?”
Ianto tried his best to stifle a desperate groan. “Please… I think I’ll need it after tonight!”
“I’ll call you later on, then.”
“OK, speak to you later, Jack.”
Seconds later the call was ended, and Ianto went to shower.
He ‘hummed and hawed’ over what to wear, before quite unconsciously choosing an outfit that Jack would have liked: dark jeans, a waistcoat and his new red-blue shirt. As he looked for some shoes he found a polished wood and metal beaded necklace that he and Jack had bought at Wat Phnom on their last flight to Cambodia, and added it to his outfit. He virtually ran out of the hotel room, only pausing to grab the bag with Johnny’s present in it, and a hoodie and his coat, predicting a chilly evening ahead if barbeques were to going be involved.
***
To be continued…
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-02-12 09:39 am (UTC)Lovely update
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Date: 2011-02-12 10:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-02-12 10:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-02-12 10:35 am (UTC)Thanks so much for reading! More MTC? Please?!
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Date: 2011-02-12 07:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-02-12 12:59 pm (UTC)So far Ianto's managed to avoid too much interrogation, but I have a feeling that'll all change at the barbecue! Hopefully they won't be treated to Welsh rain, but I expect everyone will be pretty chilly! Having said that, it's February and pretty warm and sunny here in the midlands!
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Date: 2011-02-13 09:05 am (UTC)Only a couple of more days to go now, Ianto!
Thank you for reading!
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Date: 2011-02-12 01:05 pm (UTC)Aww, I bet their Reunion will be a happy one XD
Lovely chapter :)
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Date: 2011-02-13 08:56 am (UTC)Thank you!
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Date: 2011-02-12 03:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-02-13 08:53 am (UTC)I'm sure he'll make it through the barbeque... And I can just see Johnny saying "But Rhi, it's stopped snowing- 'course a barbeque's a good idea- if I have to wait for good weather, I'll be waiting until 2020, when they confirm Global Warming."
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Date: 2011-02-12 09:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-02-13 08:48 am (UTC)You've probably gathered that I agree with you wholeheartedly here! Good job Gwen doesn't know where Jack lives... Yet?
Thanks for reading!
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Date: 2011-02-13 04:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-02-13 08:45 am (UTC)Thanks for reading!
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Date: 2011-02-14 03:01 pm (UTC)