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: For anyone who’s been looking for another chapter, many apologies for the delay. Real life has been conspiring to keep me busy- as it often does! Hopefully things are more or less back on track. And I really will get round to sorting out that chapter list!

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

Chapter 29

***

Over the next couple of months, Toshiko found her relationship with Ianto returning to the easy friendship that had marked their first acquaintance. It was as if the effort of hiding part of his life had made him guarded for the last six months or so, but now she knew about Jack a great burden was lifted and he was more open and outgoing once more. The two colleagues had started to spend more time together while they were out of the UK; in addition Ianto had persuaded her to join him and Jack occasionally when they had dinner, and she’d become a regular pool player, often teaming up with Owen against the two men. Now that Owen and she were the only two on the crew who had any inkling of the men’s connection, it allowed them both to have another person to talk to when it came to the latest developments in their relationship and home life.

***

“Well I guess love’s young dream is here,” Owen said as Ianto and Jack strolled into the near empty Elephant Bar.

Toshiko sighed, but took his comment just as it was meant to be taken: Owen’s sarcastic tone and sometimes derisive comments about the belied a deep affection for the pilot he’d worked with for so many years.

The two men had stopped at the bar to order drinks, and as Jack scanned the room he spotted the pair at a table close to the French windows which led out into the courtyard. He met their eyes and waved at the bar, silently asking if they were ready for another drink. Owen quickly regarded his empty beer bottle and his companion’s near empty glass and gave him the thumbs up.

“Did Jack tell you they’ve seen a house?” Tosh asked.

Ianto had been dead set on a flat, if they had to move at all, but he’d said that Jack was adamant that with their combined salaries, the proceeds of the sale of the Northfields flat (which was close to being paid off) and their savings, the small end terrace house in Ealing that they’d seen was more than affordable. Jack had grinned when he’d pointed out that they could have barbeques in the small, but well laid out, back garden, and Ianto had just indulgently shaken his head in agreement.

“God, yeah- who’d have thought it? I never thought Ianto would fall for him in the first place, never mind them be looking at buying a place together. Twelve months ago I would have bet a month’s wages at Ladbrokes on them not getting together. But good luck to ‘em. I guess they deserve it. It’s not everyone who manages to be happy in this job.”

She looked back over to the bar as Jack and Ianto collected the drinks. As usual, there was nothing explicit in the men’s behaviour, but their happiness was palpable. “Oh, I don’t know. I always thought they’d be good together… the signs were there, even with Ianto, if we’d bothered to notice.”

Owen raised a questioning eyebrow and ‘mm’d’ just as their friends reached the table.

“Hiya,” a cheerful Jack greeted and set a glass filled with pink effervescent liquid on the table in front of Toshiko. “One Rouge Champagne,” he declared, sinking tiredly into the chair across from her. Ianto smiled, silently handing Owen his bottle of Angkor beer and settled himself into the remaining chair next to Jack.

The four talked, quickly catching up. It was soon apparent, as Owen knew from the conversation in the cockpit on the way over, that they’d agreed on the purchase of the Ealing house. The sale looked like it would be quick, the owners being eager to sell after the property had been on the market for far longer than they’d expected during the current property slump. It seemed that Jack and Ianto had been fortunate in agreeing a reduction in the market price; the present owners were desperate to move to the house that they’d already put an offer in for.

An abrupt change in the conversation came with the arrival of Martha, Amy and Suzie. Gwen was bringing up the rear and Jack sighed in relief as he noticed that with Owen on one side of him, and Ianto on the other, he was, at least for the time being, safe from her attentions.

***

The return flight to London was just about the worst flight that Ianto had had. Somewhere over Turkey, they’d suddenly found themselves in one of the worst thunderstorms any of them had experienced. The turbulence had been bad enough, but the loud bang and accompanying jolt indicating a lightning strike had the usually unflappable steward briefly questioning the wisdom of choosing a career in aviation, despite the knowledge that it was almost certain that the ‘plane would be unharmed. He knew that it was not unusual for aeroplanes to be struck, sometimes without any of those on board noticing anything other than a ‘thud’. After a few seconds reassuring himself that they weren’t in any danger, he composed himself only to find that many of the usually calm and seasoned travellers who made up the passenger list were now distinctly less than calm, even as the address system sprang into life and the Captain announced that there was no damage, or threat to safety. In spite of all of this, the crew had spent the remaining journey comforting the distressed passengers who now appeared to be aware of every tiny tilt or turn of the aircraft.

***

An exhausted Ianto and Jack straggled behind the others as they made their way through the staff airport checks at Heathrow when a voice behind them made Jack visibly stiffen.

“Well, Jack. Fancy seeing you here again! Do you come here often?”

“Hart,” Jack said as the two men turned to face the owner of the voice.

“Oo, I see you’ve got the Eye Candy with you again! Very nice…”

What happened next surprised both of the pilots.

Ianto suddenly drew himself up to his full height and spoke in a low growl.

“I’ve just had one of the shittiest fights I’ve ever had. And if I ever meet you again and you call me ‘Eye Candy’, I’m going to rip your bloody head off.” He turned on his heel and stormed off, the small suitcase which had just been cleared dragging behind him.

Hart was speechless, as Jack turned to watch a retreating Ianto, unable to stop an amused grin from gracing his features- Ianto sure was sexy as hell when he was riled.

“Wow...” he laughed, and Hart noticed a certain amount of admiration at the other man’s outburst. “I’ve never seen him that angry before… I think you’ve really pissed him off, John.”

“Mmm, yeah. ‘Wow’ is the word. He’s a bit… feisty… Not your usual limp-wristed steward,” Hart responded as he looked over at Jack. The Torchwood pilot was staring after the younger man with affection and a twinkle in his eyes.

Jack turned to him. “I really don’t think Ianto would appreciate you describing stewards as ‘limp-wristed’. And I get the feeling that he meant it about tearing your head off.”

“Ianto?” John questioned, pausing for a second. “It’s him, isn’t it? You’re shagging him.”

“It’s none of your fucking business who I’m shagging- or not shagging.” Jack’s voice was low, but there was no mistaking his angry tone, or the way that his eyes had narrowed.

“Well, well. Very interesting… This could be the best bit of gen I’ve heard in ages,” he chuckled as he spoke. “I assume from your reaction that this’ll be quite a revelation ‘round here… when it gets out.”

“I mean it, Hart. Leave him out of this. Goodbye.” And with that Captain Harkness strode away, eventually catching up with a very annoyed piece of ‘Eye Candy’. John Hart couldn’t help but notice the way that Jack gently placed his hand on the young man’s shoulder as he reached him. He saw, but couldn’t hear, the whispered exchange between them, and smiled to himself as they walked away down the corridor.

***

“You do realise that it’s only a matter of time before the crew put one and one together? Our address is the same. I know Personnel won’t say anything, but even so…” Jack was sprawled against the haphazardly piled pillows, an arm loosely resting around Ianto’s shoulder as he leant against him. A part of him couldn’t help but agree with the UA pilot. Ianto was, indeed, ‘Eye Candy’, but he was so much more now- he was the person who kept him in line, made him happy- made sure that he was happy. He hardly wanted to bring up the subject of Hart again after telling the Welshman about his comments about him as he’d strode away from them at the airport. “And then there’s John. I wouldn’t put it past him to take every pleasure in making sure that we’re the latest news, not only with Torchwood, but with every other airline that goes through Heathrow and Gatwick.”

“I suppose so…” If Ianto had thought of it at all, only a few short months ago, he would have dissembled, putting off the decision for as long as possible. Now he could only think of the intense connection they shared, and suddenly it didn’t seem to matter at all what anyone’s reaction to their relationship was. Things had changed over the time they’d been seeing each other; at first he’d been cautious when they were out, avoiding Jack’s tactile gestures, the niggling fear of strangers’ silent judgments always at the back of his mind. Now, he found himself sometimes holding Jack’s hand as they entered restaurants, or looping his arm around the other man’s waist as they sat in the local pub. So far, as with his family, the expected comments and jibes had failed to materialise. Instead, he was sure he had detected the occasional envious glance, and realised just how lucky he’d been in finding Jack. He smiled to himself at the thought. “OK- well, let’s not give the tosser that pleasure. Just let us get signing for the house out of the way, yeah? I think we’ve got enough to think about until that’s sorted, don’t you?”

Jack shifted, raising his head to look at him, grinning widely. Moments later, as he was being kissed to within an inch of his life, Ianto wondered why he ever prevaricated about anything when it came to the other man- particularly when it was always so pleasurable agreeing with Jack.

***

To be continued…