wanda1969

Title: "Come Fly With Me"
Rating: Adult concepts- but not explicit this chapter.

Spoilers/Disclaimers : Torchwood, belongs to the BBC and RTD, I’m just borrowing the characters.

Summary: Torchwood characters in a story set in the glamorous world of international travel!

A/N: This is turning into a ‘coming out’ story, I’m afraid… so yet more confessions… And I still haven’t had time to update my chapter list…

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

Chapter 28

***

Ianto stood in the galley and cleared the plates from his trolley, thinking over the events earlier in the day. From what he’d seen of John Hart at the airport, and the little he’d strained to hear, he could fully understand Jack’s dislike of the man; he seemed arrogant and downright annoying. He’d also seen Hart’s predatory glances at the crew. He was shorter and wirier than Ianto had expected, but he supposed that the man could be termed good-looking, if you liked that kind of thing- which he most certainly didn’t. The clatter of a trolley behind him interrupted his thoughts.

“Well that’s dinner out of the way,” Toshiko stated as she arrived in the galley and started to stack the plates from her trolley neatly, ready to be sent away to the local in-flight service provider on arrival. “That was weird back at Heathrow. I wonder what was going on there with Jack and that UA pilot?” Tosh was evidently digging for information and he sighed. “What did Jack say?”

Another trolley rattled by and he realised that, yet again, they weren’t going to get the chance to talk privately. “Not here, Tosh. How about we head to that bar across the road from the hotel when we get in?” Ianto’s eyes darted towards the doorway.

She wrinkled her forehead questioningly before agreeing. “Alright, I’ll drop off my luggage when we get there and then we’ll go over, yeah?”

***

“So, what the heck was all of that about, back at Heathrow, then?”

They sat at one of the outdoor garden tables at the Nom Sam bar, across from the Raffles, a citronella candle on the table, and the smoke from a mosquito coil at their feet floating lazily upwards. The bar did a convincing, and much cheaper, version of the Rouge Champagne, and Tosh slurped it down enthusiastically. Like many establishments close to international hotels, the surrounding restaurants and bars catered to tourists and well-heeled locals and expats alike.

Ianto exhaled and looked away, before speaking in a rush. The arrival of John Hart was the catalyst that he needed to finally talk to her. “Look, I’ve been meaning to speak to you, but you know, it never seemed the right time, or something came up or someone came along… and it was kind of easy to go along with it after you assumed I had a girlfriend. I didn’t go out of my way to lie to you, it just sort of happened…

“Hold on! What are you going on about, Ianto?”

“I’ve been seeing Jack.”

“I know- you two get on well...”

“That’s not what I meant.” He interrupted her with determination, mixed with embarrassment. “I’ve been… going out with Jack…”

“Oh… Oh God!” she said as she realised exactly what he did mean. “You kept that quiet!”

He blushed “Once you thought I had a girlfriend it was sort of less hassle to let you carry on believing that, and then, every time I thought I’d tell you it just didn’t seem right. There were too many people about or something. I should have made time to tell you…”

She knew just what he meant. “Oh, Ianto. That doesn’t matter.” Then she grinned. “Although I always thought you two would make a good couple…”

Ianto stared at her in disbelief. “Uh?”

“It was obvious he had a soft spot for you as soon as you arrived… and he asked if you could be the attendant who worked the flight deck. I ought to have guessed- If it wasn’t for the fact I didn’t know that you… ‘you know’.. .” She furrowed her brow and laughed as if she should have seen it all along.

“If it’s any comfort I didn’t know that I… ‘you know’,” he shrugged, and Toshiko noticed the tiniest of smiles as the corners of his mouth twitched briefly upwards. “But… it wasn’t that obvious was it? I didn’t even realise myself for about six months after I started work…”

“… You’ve been seeing each other since last year, then?”

“Aah… Yeah- but I didn’t know whether it was going anywhere, you know? At first I didn’t want to say anything- in case it was just a… well, fling…”

“And it’s not just a ‘fling’?”

“Mmm,” Ianto deliberated. “No- there’s something else. We’ve … well, we’ve just moved in together…”

“You what?”

“I’ve just put the notice in on the flat.” He stated, hoping that it wasn’t too much of a lie to imply that he’d only just moved.

“It’s serious then…”

“That’s all I seem to have been asked recently… whether it’s serious or not.”

“And is it?” Toshiko looked at him questioningly as what he’d said sunk in. “Who keeps asking you?

“He met my Mam and Rhi last time I went to Cardiff.”

“Jack has been to meet your mum?” Toshiko was incredulous.

“Yeah… and Rhiannon. Charmed the socks of both of them,” he said as he remembered both meetings.

“It went well then?”

“God, yes. I thought they were going to freak out, but it turns out they both think he’s the best thing since sliced bread,” he laughed. “Rhi almost deafened me, screeching away, when I told her I was moving in with him.”

“Wow!” she exhaled. “You do realize that you are going to be the envy of at least 50 percent of the Torchwood workforce when this comes out? And Gwen’s going to turn positively green when she gets to hear about this… Oh my God! And all that time she’s been flirting with Jack right in front of you…”

“Gwen’s not a problem, Tosh. Although I’d prefer it if this didn’t ‘come out’ straight away… And anyway, it turns out Gwen isn’t really his type.”

“OK, but I suppose I know what Jack’s type is now… but it’s nice to know that Gwen’s not everybody’s type,” she replied with a giggle.

Ianto rolled his eyes and looked up at a nearby banana tree.

“But what’s this all got to do with the UA pilot?”

“Mm… well… it transpires that he’s an ex of Jack’s. They went out together for a couple of months, years before he was married. And by all accounts it didn’t end amicably- Jack detests him. He’s been flying internally in the US so he was just about the last person that Jack was expecting to see in London…”

“Ah… I see.” Toshiko took a sip of her cocktail, as she mulled over the now apparent connection between the two seemingly different strands of conversation. She swallowed the liquid down and regarded him with twinkling eyes. “Anyway….So how did you and Jack get together, then?”

It was around half eleven at night when the two of them half stumbled back across the now empty road towards the Raffles, a few too many cocktails and beers having been consumed. Once Jack’s behavior at the airport was been explained, Toshiko had what seemed like a never ending set of questions about the men’s relationship, the questions gradually becoming more and more personal as the Rouges Champagnes slipped down, with Ianto only just succeeding in answering them without giving too many details about his private life away.

***

Jack strode through the Hotel lobby towards the dining room. A few guests were milling about, making queries at the front desk, or on their way to or from breakfast.

The night before, a cheerfully inebriated Ianto had knocked at his door on the way back from the Nom Sam, impatient to discuss his evening with Tosh. He’d been happily taken aback as they lay on the bed and finally Ianto had sleepily huddled against his chest as he spoke. It wasn’t long before the young Welshman’s breathing slowed and he was fast asleep, followed swiftly by Jack. Ianto had left just before the sun had started to rise.

As he walked across the Reception area, his attention was caught by a petite figure standing at the window of the hotel’s small souvenir shop, just to one side, dark hair loosely clipped up at the back of her head. He quickly changed direction, walking up close behind.

“It’s all a bit overpriced y’know, Toshiko.”

The Japanese woman jumped slightly at the voice at her shoulder, and turned around.

“Jack… Good morning.”

“Morning,” he said cheerfully and then noticed her slightly awkward look. “It’s OK, Tosh. Ianto’s told me he’s spoken to you,” he smiled and looked at his wristwatch. “Look, why don’t we get a coffee in the garden? There’s plenty of time before we have to get to breakfast.”

She allowed herself to be steered towards a quiet table in the courtyard, sheltered from the morning sun by a verandah. The gardens were beautiful in the sunlight, bougainvilleas just starting to bloom in bright pinks and purples. They sat there quietly until their pot of coffee arrived. As the waiter left, Jack reached for the pot and poured them both a cup.

“So… Ianto tells me that you and he had a chat last night?” he asked, taking a drink. “God! I know they’re pretty good at coffee here, but this isn’t a patch on Ianto’s.”

She smiled and decided against asking just when Jack and Ianto had found time to talk about their trip to Nom Sam. “Is any coffee a patch on Ianto’s?” she said instead.

“Well, no.” he placed the cup back on its saucer with a proud grin. “His coffee’s amazing- like most things he does…”

She laughed.

“It wasn’t a conscious decision, you know? Not to tell anyone, I mean. It’s hard enough to hold down a relationship in this job, without having to worry about what people are going to think about you when they find out you’re bisexual, or gay. And he’s never been out with a guy before. Before you know it you’ve been a lot more secretive than you wanted to be. ”

“I understand that, Jack. Ianto needs time” she conceded. “He isn’t wrong though, is he? He told me you’ve moved in together… You are making a go of this, aren’t you?

“Tosh, I don’t go around moving in with someone, someone I work with- or anyone for that matter- without wanting to make a go of it.”

“I didn’t think so- y’know I always knew you were attracted to him. You just couldn’t keep your eyes off him. If I hadn’t let myself believe he had a girlfriend it should have been obvious- sightseeing together, meals out…” she smiled at the way she’d managed to get just about everything about the two men’s relationship so completely wrong.

“So it seems I’m not even half as subtle as I thought…” Jack mused. “You’re right- I fancied him the moment I met him. Never thought I stood a chance, though. Came as a bit of a surprise when we got together… A very pleasant surprise,” he waggled his eyebrows at her, then grinned to himself and looked past her at the garden as she slurped delicately at her cup of coffee.

He paused. “Owen knows about us, too; he saw us having a meal out a while ago and kinda put two and two together.”

“But you’re always going out together…”

“Yes- but this was in London. And it wasn’t exactly the kind of place you go out for a snack after beer with mates,” Jack explained.

“Oh …”

“He’s Ok. He knew I was bisexual anyway. He probably guessed before you that I fancied Ianto.” He stopped for a moment, an indefinable but happy look on his face. A second later and he appeared serious. “He knows John Hart, too, the pilot you saw at Heathrow yesterday. And possibly the reason we’re having this conversation. I don’t know whether to kill the man or kiss him- at least it’s meant Ianto’s finally got round to speaking to you, for a start.”

“Ianto mentioned him; it doesn’t sound like he’s good news.”

“The man’s a twat- sorry, Toshiko,” he apologised. “But he’s never good news. John’s just gonna cause trouble- he delights in making my life hell, and if he finds out about Ianto, he’s going to make his life hell, too.”

Jack didn’t have time to elaborate. His mobile beeped and he ran his finger over the screen. His lips twitched into a smile and his eyes darted back and forth across the screen.

“Ianto,” he said without looking up as his thumbs typed out a reply. “Looks like we’ve been sitting here longer than we thought if he’s checking up on me!” He drained his cup and stood up, shaking his head and frowning and at the bitter, over-brewed taste. “We’ll just about make the buffet.”

***

Watching Jack and Ianto sitting next to each other at the large breakfast table, Toshiko asked herself how she had missed the growing affection between them. The sideways glances and covert looks, the way that Ianto would wordlessly pass Jack the coffee pot, or the pepper or salt. It seemed inconceivable that she could ever have mistaken the signs, she thought, as she chuckled quietly to herself.

The legs of the chair next to her scraped noisily against the wooden floor, and Owen placed his plate on the table and dropped onto the seat. He leaned forward grinning, mouth close to her ear. “Looks like you just sussed it out about the Captain and the Tea boy?”

***

To be continued…