Torchwood: Fanfic: The simple things

[m_findlow]

Title: The simple things
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Jack, Ianto
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 1,465 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for m_findlow's prompt "Any, any, easier to please than expected" at fic_promptly
Summary: Jack had high hopes for their first date

Jack had it all planned out down to the very last detail. It wasn't his usual style, but somehow he knew that this was different. This was his first official, proper date with Ianto, and he wanted to make a very good impression. He had a lot to make up for and this was just the beginning. If things went well tonight, Ianto might find it in himself to forgive Jack for leaving. At least, that was the hope. He'd screwed things up big time and he wasn't ever going to make that same mistake again.

He's spent days getting all his ducks in a row, organising the reservation at one of the best restaurants in the city. He made sure they could have a nice secluded table which would allow them to speak freely, without having to worry about the subject matter and who might overhear them.

He perused the wine list, checking that they had some suitably expensive bottles. Wait, did Ianto drink wine? He couldn't recall ever seeing him drink wine. Beer and scotch, yes, but wine? Hmm, he supposed it wouldn't be the end of the world.

He agonised over booking the movie tickets. Part of him wanted to wait until the night and see what tickled Ianto's fancy, but he also didn't want to spend half an hour in the queue, preferring that they spend as much time together as possible. What movie would Ianto like, he wondered. He secretly hoped that it might not matter, and that they might proceed to the next logical step once they were ensconced in the darkness. Then again, the wrong choice of film could really ruin the moment. Did Ianto like comedies? No, he was probably more intellectual than that. Romance was probably out of the question as well. Jack didn't want him reading too much into things, or to be scared off by Jack's intentions. Maybe something action, or a psychological thriller. Just nothing that had aliens in it.

Once the tickets were printed and tucked inside his wallet, he felt better. Everything was organised, planned to be just perfect to meet the very high standards of his love interest. Ianto was classy, exuding all the qualities of someone who enjoyed the finer things in life. Ianto also liked neat and tidy and organised so that's just what Jack intended. He'd send Ianto home at five to give him time to shower and dress, which would give Jack time to do the same. It also gave him time to stop off and pick up the bouquet of roses he'd ordered; white, because red seemed too presumptuous when he was still trying to work his way back into Ianto's good graces.

Stepping up to Ianto's apartment block, he felt a flutter of nerves, casting his eyes down at the box arrangement of roses. Maybe the flowers were too much, and he should take them back down to the car and hide them in the boot. In his pocket his phone pinged, but he ignored it, hands full for the time being, nudging the elevator floor button with his elbow.

When the doors slid open, he found Ianto standing there.

'Oh, I was just about to call you,' Ianto said, startled by the man in front of him, and even more by his bouquet. 'Weevil alert,' he said, holding up his phone. 'Down near Queen Alexander docks.'

Jack's face fell. So that's what the beeping in his pocket had been. Why tonight of all nights?

'I brought you these,' he said stupidly, holding out the box.

'They're lovely,' Ianto said, taking them off Jack. 'Just give me a moment to put these inside,' he said, returning to unlock that door and leaving them on the sideboard. He paused for the briefest moment to look at them properly and he felt guilty that Jack had tried so hard, only to have his efforts ruined by weevils.

The weevil hunt didn't take very long. It was wandering aimlessly around the docks as if it was a lost tourist. A check of their database showed it had been previously caught and microchipped, which would mean there'd be no need to drag it back to the hub for further analysis.

'It looks kinda drunk,' Jack said, watching from a distance as it continued to stagger around.

'Altogether possible,' Ianto agreed. 'People leave half drunk premix drinks lying around and a weevil is bound to get curious. They'll eat just about anything.'

As if no time at all had passed, the pair of them quickly surrounded it from both sides, anticipating one another's moves and maneuvering like two dancers moving to the same tune. They administered the weevil with a light sedative, and helped guide it back towards the nearest manhole, back down into the sewers where it belonged. That it was so compliant was a blessing. Helping a little old lady cross the road couldn't have been easier.

'How's that for a walk in the park?' Jack remarked.

'Just easing you back into things, sir.'

'I missed this,' Jack replied. He turned to look at Ianto, expecting him to look at Jack as if he was mad.

'Me too,' he said.

'Really?'

'I missed a lot of things,' Ianto replied, sounding cryptic.

'Sorry about our date,' Jack said, apologising. 'Can we take a raincheck?'

Ianto checked his watch. 'It's only nine o'clock. Why don't we just pick up where we left off?'

Jack wanted to tell him it was already too late. Dinner reservations had been for seven, and the movie was a nine fifteen start. There was no way of salvaging any of that now.

'I had... plans,' Jack mumbled.

'Well, we'll just have to make new ones. What's more Torchwood than that?' Ianto grabbed his hand. 'Come on.'

Across on the bay side of the docks, there was a pokey little white caravan sitting under a street lamp. Even from a distance, Jack could smell the grease and deep fried everything on offer. Ianto marched him up to the tiny van.

'Two fish and chips, please. And two bottles of water.' He pulled out his wallet and handed over a ten pound note. 'Oh, and can we get extra tomato sauce, please?' he asked. He gave Jack a sideward glance. 'I know you love to drown yours,' he said. Jack felt a swell of pride that Ianto remembered his preferences, forgetting that he'd made a living of remembering Jack's likes and dislikes.

A few minutes later, the man from the van handed over a paper package and they took it with them, strolling along the edge of the bay. Ianto pulled them up at a spot on the gravelly shore, sitting down on a rotting wooden plank that was once part of the many piers dotted around the bay. He unwrapped their food and passed it across to Jack for first helpings, watching the lights of Mermaid Quay and the entire bay glitter across the water.

'Why do fish and chips always taste better by the water?' Jack asked, squeezing several of the small sachets of sauce over half of the package.

'Don't know,' Ianto replied, reaching over and dipping one of his chips in Jack's sauce. 'They just do.'

They sat in the dark and ate for a while, chatting amiably about nothing, avoiding discussions about where Jack had been and what had happened in the time since he'd been gone. Somehow, none of that mattered right at this moment.

Ianto leaned in closer to Jack, resting against his side as they continued to watch the stars twinkle in the sky overhead, enjoying a moment of comfortable silence.

'I'm sorry that our date was ruined,' Jack suddenly blurted out.

'What do you mean?' Ianto said, continuing to stare out over the bay.

'This isn't what I planned. I was trying to make things up to you. Dinner and a movie. It was meant to be nice.'

'This is nice, 'Ianto replied.

'What, greasy food and sitting out in the cold?'

Ianto chuckled into the folds of Jack's coat. 'A quiet night together, comfort food and the whole universe glittering above us. I'm not sure what more you could want.'

Jack laughed in spite of himself, wrapping an arm around Ianto. 'And here I was thinking you were much harder to please. You told me you were more complicated than I thought.'

'Can't I be complicated and still like the simple things in life?'

'I suppose.'

Ianto shivered against him. 'Speaking of cold, think we could go somewhere warm now?'

Jack hugged him tighter. 'I think I can manage that. Would you like me to warm you up the complicated way or the simple way?'

Ianto reached across and kissed him. 'Any which way you like.'

Comments

[bk_forever]

Lovely! Shame about Jack's carefully planned date, but the unplanned one went pretty well.