m_findlow

Title: Keeping things professional
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Ianto, Jack
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 1,247 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for Challenge 83 - Professional at beattheblackdog
Summary: Ianto's demands are going to be tougher on him than they are Jack.

Ianto tugged nervously at his tie again, trying to get it to sit right. Judging it from the reflection in the mirror, he groaned in frustration again, pulling it off and starting over. He could still hear the water in the shower behind him, surreptitiously glancing behind him in the mirror. Jack would be finished any second now, stepping out, water dripping down that sculptured naked body, and Ianto wanted to be gone before that happened.

He hadn't even wanted to share the bathroom, but Jack insisted. 'You're welcome to parade halfway across the hub naked to get to the showers downstairs,' Jack said. 'I won't mind the view, but Tosh might get a bit of a fright if she checks the overnight CCTV.'

Gods, but he hadn't thought of that. Worse, she could decide to come in early and catch him in the act. Using Jack's small bathroom in the hidden bunker beneath his office was not only practical, but necessary.

Under, over, around and through,he chanted in his head, attempting his tie again, as the water behind him continued to patter down, his heart beating faster as time slowly slipped away. Then the water stopped.

'There's almost nothing better than a nice hot shower, don't you think?' Jack asked, stepping out from behind the frosted glass. Ianto didn't mean to, but he caught sight of Jack's reflection, just a few seconds of delicious voyeurism before squeezing his eyes shut, listening for the sound of a towel rubbing that caramel skin dry.

'I like that dark blue shirt,' Jack said. 'Is that new?'

Ianto swallowed hard and turned, just as Jack was wrapping the towel around his waist

'I don't want anyone to know,' he blurted out.

'That you have a new shirt?' Jack hazarded a guess.

Ianto groaned. Why did Jack always have to be so obtuse? 'About us,' he said, trying not to sound exasperated. 'We need to be professional about this.'

Whatever this was, Ianto thought. It shouldn't have been anything, by rights. What had Jack said, "just this once"? Once, which had become twice, and then a dozen times after that. He really was screwed up, but he found himself unable to resist wanting Jack. And if he wasn't mistaken, Jack wanted him too. Even now, it was all he could do not to want to let Jack tear all his clothes off. This wasn't going to end well if they had to work side by side every day.

He took another deep breath. 'What I mean is, I don't want this to interfere with what we do.'

'I get it,' Jack said. 'Like I told you before, relationships at work are never a good idea.'

'I didn't think this was a relationship.'

Jack shrugged. 'Whatever you wanna call it, then. You don't want people thinking that you get treated differently.'

That wasn't quite the pitch he'd been going for, but he supposed it was valid enough. It was more that he needed to find his own way. No one would ever respect him if they thought he was only here because he was shagging the boss. Moreover, he didn't think this was anything more than the two of them satisfying a physical need. There was no "them". He liked being semi-invisible, and being seen in some sort of relationship with Jack would make him very, very visible.

Jack knew exactly why Ianto wanted to keep things under wraps. He was just an average twenty-first century guy with all the hang-ups and prejudices that went along with it. Sexuality was still a work in progress, and Ianto struck him as a very traditional sort, although he'd already surprised Jack just by his own admissions. Anything outside the box was still scary. He knew what he wanted, he just didn't know if it was okay to want it. It had only been a few weeks, but already he could see the change it was having on Ianto just by having something for himself.

'This job is important to me,' Ianto said.

'I know,' Jack said. 'But the job isn't everything. You need other things in your life.'

Ianto frowned. 'That's what this is, isn't it?'

'I dunno. You're the one wanting to keep things professional.'

'Is that so wrong?'

'Maybe they already know,' Jack added, letting the comment hang in the air.

'You told them?' His expression was a mixture of anger and blind panic.

Jack tried hard to suppress his laughter. 'Ianto, Ianto, relax. I'm just teasing you.'

Jack was beginning to learn that Ianto had buttons he could push, which would produce the most amusing results. After months of Ianto teasing him with sarcasm and dry comments, it was nice to know he could actually ruffle the man's feathers and get one back.

'I wouldn't say anything unless it was okay with you. All I'm saying is that people might notice on their own if you seem a little more...' what was the word he was looking for? 'content,' he finished.

'So, what you're saying is that they'll think I've had a good shag and want to know who?'

'What we choose to do outside of work is nobody's business but ours.'

'And that's what this is?' Ianto asked. 'Outside of work?' He couldn't help but think of last night. It had started as weapons training, but it soon became clear that shooting loaded guns was just a euphemism for something else entirely. Plus Jack never left the hub, so how was he supposed to delineate between what was work time and what was play time? It didn't help that he'd already memorised every storage cupboard in the hub that was outside the reach of any CCTV camera angles, just in case.

'It's whatever you want it to be,' Jack said. 'I'm not complicated, and this doesn't have to be either. If you want platonic nine to five out of respect for the rest of the team, that's fine.'

'And you won't try undressing me with you eyes in meetings?'

Jack grinned. 'Can't promise that.'

'Good,' Ianto said. 'Then everyone would know something was wrong.'

'And I can still tease you about how sexy you look in those suits?' Jack added, slipping his hands around Ianto's waist.

Ianto felt himself quivering at Jack's touch, at his body so close to his own. Jack's pheromones filled his nose and clouded his brain with warm fuzzy feelings. That perfect, hard brown nipple was so close he could almost sieze it with his mouth. If he couldn't hold it together now, how the hell was he going to manage it all day, every day? Jack would be dressed, for starters, he thought. That would go a long way, but even so, he felt his resolve crumbling out from under him. Take me now, Jack.

'Your tie is crooked,' Jack said, reaching around to slip it off. Ianto found himself frozen to the spot as Jack deftly wound it back around his neck, expertly tying the knot. 'That's better.' He let his hands drop from Ianto's chest and smiled at him.

'I'd better get dressed. I get the feeling today is gonna be a long day. Gotta look my best.' Jack turned away to enter his bunker, retrieving clothes from the wardrobe. Ianto was still leant back against the vanity, hands gripping its edge for dear life as he remembered to breathe again.

Yes, it was going to be a very long day.