wanda1969

Title: "Come Fly With Me"
Rating: This chapter’s safe for work and kids.

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: A short installment, I’m afraid… And, again, I can’t thank those of you who’ve been reading or commenting enough!

Chapter list: http://wanda1969.dreamwidth.org/1863.html

Chapter 18

***

Jack kept to his private promise to himself, avoiding meeting up with the team at the hotel. Instead, he and Ianto continued their exploration of Phnom Penh, walking around the city’s less well known areas and back streets, finding small French influenced cafés and bars, and locally run restaurants

It was at one of those bars that smacked of colonial France, sitting at a corner table in a quiet part of the room, that Jack decided to break the news of Owen Harper’s sighting of them in Scalini’s, a week before.

“They really know how to make coffee out here,” Ianto sighed appreciatively as he placed his demitasse back on to its saucer.

“It’s not a patch on yours…” Jack smiled. He’d been wondering how to tell Ianto that Owen had seen them in the restaurant and correctly deduced that they were more than ‘good friends’. He’d finally come to the conclusion that it was best to just tell the other man. “Ianto… you know we went to Scalini’s last week?”

“Yes- that was another good choice, Jack.”

“Apparently it was a popular choice- Owen and Diane were there…”

Ianto’s head flew up and his eyes met Jack’s, as he wracked his mind for memories of whether they’d behaved indiscreetly. “Oh…”

“Diane didn’t see us and Owen hasn’t said anything to her. God knows how he stopped himself, but he did!” Jack gave a comforting smile.

“I suppose that’s one thing… What did Owen say?”

“Well, he didn’t believe for a moment that we’d just called in for a snack…”

“Shit!”

Jack was ever so slightly upset by Ianto’s reaction- he was hoping that, sooner or later, Ianto would feel comfortable with their ‘relationship’, or whatever it was that Ianto perceived it to be. “Hey, Owen’s not that much of a wanker! And, he’s a friend- he’s not going to blurt it out to the rest of the crew. He’s said as much. He might be a sarky bastard but it’s all front.”

Ianto reached for his cup and drained the dregs of his coffee and then raised his hand to rub the back of his neck. “Jack, I know you think I’m ashamed or embarrassed or something- but I’m not.” He paused and smiled thinly, “Well, OK- a little bit embarrassed. It was bad enough being gossiped about when me and Lisa finished- the way that half the crew went quiet when I was about… But this?” He looked towards the ceiling and the fan which was providing some respite from the heat. “You know this would be the biggest news to hit the company- internally- since… since… ever. Personnel could even put us on different flights if they felt it- we- were affecting team morale. ” He gave an exasperated sigh as he finished and stared down at his empty cup.

“Owen’s OK- the furthest he’s gonna go is winding me up when we’re flying!” Jack said as reassuringly as he could. Suddenly a thought that Jack didn’t want to contemplate came, unwanted, into his head. “Unless you’re saying we ought to stop seeing each other?”

Ianto looked up to meet Jack’s eyes. “I didn’t say that… and that’s the last thing I want. It’s all just a bit soon.”

The pilot reached underneath the table and lightly laid his hand on Ianto’s knee, his thumb gently and comfortingly circling the bone beneath the lightweight denim trousers. Relieved, Jack let out the breath that he’d been holding as he felt a hand cover his own, fingers slipping between his.

***

January was a busy month. Almost as soon as the crew returned after New Year, Diane handed in her notice; she’d agreed to take the job she’d been offered. Owen had been moody, heartbroken, even, but he was putting on a brave face, making the most of the time that Diane had left with the airline. The co-pilot was rarely seen at work and stopovers without her, the time he spent in the cockpit, flying, seemingly the longest period of separation that Owen was able to manage.

Jack had been right about Owen’s ability to be discrete, though. Apart from the odd cryptically pointed remark or smirk directed at either, or both, men (thankfully, Ianto thought, when there was no-one else around), he had refrained from adding grist to the Torchwood rumour mill.

Neither Ianto nor Jack had used up their annual leave for the year- there hadn’t been that much point: they were always either working together or back in the UK, again together. Ianto had eventually been persuaded by Rhiannon to take the first full week of February off to visit his family after his Christmas in Wales had been postponed by the snow. Jack had followed suit and booked the same week off, regardless of the fact that his lover would be away for over half the time.

***

“Four days!” Ianto moaned and rubbed his forehead and then rested his elbow on the small lip that acted as a windowsill below the passenger seat window.

Jack insisted on driving him to Heathrow for his flight to Cardiff- driving or catching the train to Wales could take several hours, and when left over seats with Torchwood, and some of the other connected airlines with a reciprocal agreement, were either free or available for a nominal price, there hardly seemed much point in all the extra effort.

It had all seemed so easy to Ianto- make up for missing Christmas, take up the presents he had stored from December, make a quick getaway… But when he called to make arrangements, Rhiannon and his mam had reminded him that it was Johnny’s birthday, so Ianto now had a full itinerary for his trip:

Friday- arrive 15:15 at Cardiff, pick up hire car, travel to his Mam’s. Quiet evening. Stay at Mam’s.

Saturday- family meal in the late afternoon/early evening. Stay at The King’s Head, due to Rhiannon, Johnny and the kids coming over to stay.

Sunday- Travel to Rhiannon’s for Johnny’s birthday barbeque. Why Johnny wanted a barbeque in early February- in Wales, of all places- Ianto would never know. He suspected it was an excuse to stand outside having a crafty fag, as well as messing about with inflammable materials. More worrying than the barbeque itself was Rhiannon’s comment that her newly divorced friend, Mari, was coming along, bringing some of “the girls”. Stay at the Glendower Hotel.

Monday- Quiet day, recover from Sunday. Perhaps have a walk ‘round Cardiff with Mam, or pop back over to say goodbye to Rhiannon and the family (depending on exactly how stressful the last couple of days had been). Stay at the Glendower Hotel.

Tuesday- Leisurely breakfast. Depart Cardiff in the morning. Flight 11:25.

“It’ll fly by; it’ll be Tuesday before you know it. And you know you’ll enjoy catching up with everyone once you actually get there…” Jack replied as encouragingly as he possibly could.

“It’ll be OK seeing Mam, even if she does go on about me getting ‘proper’ meals or a ‘proper’ job, but Johnny’s birthday’s going to be painful, what with Rhi trying to fix me up with her mates…” The last word was said with a groan.

Jack gave a laugh, as he remembered the one-sided conversation when his sister had called him the week before, and Ianto’s protestation’s that he neither wanted to ‘settle down’, nor be introduced to every one of her single, female friends. “You never know- they could be hot.”

“You’ve never met any of Rhiannon’s friends, have you, Jack?”

Jack looked over to see Ianto rolling his eyes, and gave another laugh as they neared the airport. “Oh, well. I guess you’ll just have to put up with hot Welshmen instead.”

“To paraphrase my last comment: you’ve never met Rhiannon’s- or Johnny’s- male friends either, have you, Jack?”

“Well, that’s one worry out of my mind…” he said as they drew up at the airport’s drop-off point for Internal Departures.

“Yeah, right- like you’ve got anything to worry about. I’m obviously going to run off with one of Johnny’s mates. The winter evenings would just fly by as we discussed some of the finer performances on ‘X-Factor’ or whether Man U was going to win the European Cup.”

Jack glanced over and winked as they drew up at the kerb. “And a good thing, too. Wouldn’t want you getting addicted to ‘The X Factor’.”

Engaging the handbrake, he drew to a halt and leant forward to kiss Ianto chastely. Or at least it was supposed to be chastely- it soon became distinctly less chaste.

Seemingly minutes later Jack drew away. “I think we’d better get you going or you’ll miss check-in,” he pouted. Ianto had never expected to see the great, Captain Jack Harkness pout, but he’d got used to the more childish side of the other man’s personality over time.

“Guess so…” Ianto said regretfully as he opened the passenger door and got out, walking over to the boot and opening it.

Jack joined him reaching past him to grab the small suitcase and another bag that served as hand luggage. Setting the suitcase on the pavement, he handed the bag over and pecked Ianto on the cheek. “Only four days, Ianto. I’ll text or call later. And I don’t care what you say, I’m coming to collect you when you get back.”

***

To be continued…