Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Jack.
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1137
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Ianto has been cleaning up after the team and needs cheering up.
Written For: Challenge #148: Up at fan_flashworks.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
A/N: I couldn’t make up my mind, so I just tried to fit in as many different kinds of up as I could!
Coming up from the archives and slumping onto the sofa, Ianto sighed heavily, clearly upset about something.
“What’s up?” Jack asked, concerned.
“I give up!” The Welshman ran both hands agitatedly through his hair, making it stand up on end. “I go up to Scotland for two days to help Archie out, and in that time, you lot manage to upend everything and turn my tidy archives upside down!” He threw his hands up in the air. “I’ve spent most of the day trying to clean up and I haven’t even started on the mess up here yet! Look at it!”
Jack looked around, frowning. “I know the Hub’s a bit untidy…” Ianto snorted at that understatement, “but I distinctly remember telling the others that if they had to get anything from your domain they should take care and tidy up after themselves.”
“Obviously they weren’t listening.” Ianto eyed Jack suspiciously. “And do you really expect me to believe that none of the mess is your handiwork?”
“I haven’t been anywhere near the archives.”
One of Ianto’s eyebrows went up.
Jack shrugged. “There was no point since you weren’t there. As for the mess up here, I screwed up. I’d intended to clear it up before you got back, but I was up to my eyeballs last night. The Rift alert went off five times and had me running around like a headless chicken. I was up all night. Sorry, I’ll make it up to you, I promise. Why don’t I start by bagging up all the rubbish?”
Ianto nodded and stood up. “That sounds fair. While you do that, I’ll fetch the brush and sweep up.”
With both of them tackling the mess, the cleanup only took half an hour.
“Wait here, I’ll be right back.” Jack nipped up to his office to fetch their coats from the coat rack. “I know just the thing to cheer you up,” he explained. “I’m taking you out for dinner, and afterwards… Well, we can make up our minds about that after we’ve eaten, or just go wherever the evening takes us. Who knows where we’ll end up?”
“As long as you don’t get us arrested and locked up for the night. I doubt that the rest of the team would be happy about being woken up in the early hours of the morning to put up bail.”
Jack laughed. “You worry too much; I’m suggesting a night on the town, not embarking on a crime spree. I promise whatever we do will be strictly on the up and up.” Flipping open his wrist strap, he linked it up to receive alerts from the Rift monitor, just in case anything should happen while they were out.
“Well, alright then.” Ianto reached for Jack’s coat and helped him into it before letting Jack return the favour. A night off sounded good; the day might have started out badly, but things were definitely looking up.
Leading Ianto to the invisible life, Jack took them up to the surface. Up above them, stars twinkled in the night sky and a waxing moon shone its light over everything, gilding the city with silver. It was quite chilly out so Jack set off across the Plas at a brisk pace, taking such long strides that Ianto had to jog to catch up with him.
“Jack, wait up! What’s the hurry?”
“I thought you’d want to get back in the warm as soon as possible. I know I do!” A cold wind was getting up and Jack pulled his collar up around his ears.
Ianto shivered slightly. “Good point.” Setting off again, they picked up the pace until they were almost running, glancing sideways at each other and laughing. Even so, they were glad when they eventually reached the restaurant, bustling through the door into the cosy interior and shedding their coats as they started to warm up again.
As they were regulars at Café Citta they were quickly seated at one of the best tables; picking up their menus, they discussed options before making their choices. As always, the food was delicious, with generous portions, so by the time they finished their meal they were full up. They considered lingering for a while over a final cup of coffee as this was one of the few restaurants in Cardiff whose coffee was up to Ianto’s very high standards, but as there were still people waiting to be seated, Jack paid up, the manager handing them each a travel cup of the rich, dark beverage on the house.
“Where to now?” Ianto asked, as they left the restaurant and made their leisurely way up Church Street, heading towards the St. David’s Centre, which was closed by now. Not that it mattered since they weren’t in the mood to shop.
“We could go to the cinema, I seem to remember promising to take you to see the new Bond film.”
“Perfect!”
Ten minutes later, they were queuing up outside the Cineworld Cinema on Mary Ann Street, and ten minutes after that, they were settling into their seats, eagerly anticipating the start of the movie.
Spectre was a terrific film, full of action and adventure; neither of them wanted it to end so they were both a little disappointed when the credits rolled and the lights came up.
“We should definitely see that again,” Jack enthused, his megawatt smile lighting up his face. Ianto was in wholehearted agreement.
It was almost midnight when they left the cinema so they made their way through the nighttime streets back to Ianto’s flat, which took up the whole top floor of an old house that had been converted for multiple occupancy decades earlier.
“Are you coming up?” Ianto asked as they reached the door to the building.
“We have to be up early in the morning,” Jack reminded him.
“That’s never stopped you before.”
Ianto had a point. “That’s true. Well then, after you, Mister Jones.” Jack followed his lover up the stairs to the top floor, shutting and locking the door behind them and hanging up their coats on the hooks in the small foyer before pinning Ianto up against the wall for a long, sensuous kiss.
As they drew apart, the corners of Ianto’s mouth curved up in a wicked smile. He knew exactly what they’d be getting up to for the rest of the night, and there was no doubt they were both up for it.
Jack leered, fingering the hem of Ianto’s Jacket. “I’m going to peel away all these layers, lick you from head to toe, and screw you so hard you see stars!” he promised.
Steering Jack into the bedroom, Ianto fell back onto his bed, dragging his lover with him. “Enough talk, just shut up and get on with it!”
So Jack did.
The End