m_findlow

Title: Ringing in a change
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Jack, Gwen, Ianto
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 1,126 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for m_findlow's prompt "Any, any, better put a ring on it" at fic_promptly
Summary: Jack needs help having the obvious pointed out to him.

'I can't believe you'd get jealous over that!' Gwen laughed, watching the dark expression on Jack's face as his watched his lover from a distance. He was busy distracting the young man with blond hair, passing him a bottle of water which seemingly appeared from nowhere. They were chatting amicably whilst the man snapped the lid open and took a few swigs.

'He won't remember it tomorrow,' Gwen said.

'Ianto will,' Jack replied, still frowning. He knew that it took a certain kind of reassuring presence and charm to get a complete stranger to eat or drink anything these days. People were just that much more suspicious of being drugged or poisoned. It made rectonning challenging, but as expected, Ianto carried it off with no small amount of class. He had one of those faces you just trusted implicitly. No, what annoyed Jack was the overt flirting going on between them. It was all he could do not to storm over there and punch out the young man when he laughed at something Ianto said, placing a gentle hand on his elbow. Never mind retcon, Jack would punch him into the middle of next week.

Gwen sighed. 'Honest to God, Jack, you are the most jealous person I know. And that's saying something given your tendency to flirt with anything that moves.'

Jack growled. 'He only has to retcon the guy, not get his phone number.'

'Well, maybe now you know how Ianto must feel when you flirt with other people. Not that I'm saying he's flirting, mind you.' Gwen wasn't sure Ianto knew how. He was sweet and still a little bit innocent. Intentionally trying to garner the attentions of anyone was just something he wouldn't do. Not knowingly, anyway.

'Ianto doesn't get jealous,' Jack replied, his eyes never leaving the pair of them. Stupid retcon. Why wasn't it working yet? He should be loading the man back into his car by now, letting him sleep it off in the front seat until tomorrow morning.

Gwen scoffed out aloud. 'What makes you think Ianto doesn't get jealous? I would. I mean, if I were him. I mean, if you were my boyfriend. Oh God, that's come out all wrong.'

Jack laughed. 'Do I need to keep an closer eye on you, Mrs Williams?'

'No!' She punched him for effect, letting him know exactly where they stood. 'I'm just saying that it can't be easy watching you and the way you are with people sometimes. Not everyone would call that just being friendly. We all have insecurities and, well... he's very eligible. You shouldn't be taking that for granted. You never know...'

'Oh, so now you're saying I'm right to be jealous?'

'No, just that... Well, you've sort of been together for ages.'

'Sort of,' Jack repeated, never quite sure exactly what that meant.

'Have you talked about it?'

'About what?'

'You know... where you're at.'

'You mean have I asked him if this is serious?' No, he hadn't, but the more Gwen talked about it, the less certain he felt. What if Ianto did get tired of him? All the late nights, the arguments at work, dating the boss. And yes, he did flirt with other people... a bit. But it was totally innocent. What if that was all a bit too much, though? Maybe he was after something a lot less complicated than Jack.

'Jack,' Gwen said, taking a serious turn, watching from the corner of her eye, as a woozy looking man was slowly helped into his car. 'I dont think Ianto is very complicated.'

Oh, how little she knew, Jack thought.

'I think he loves you,' she continued. 'But,' she paused, choosing her next words carefully, 'I wouldn't wait around forever in making sure he knows that you feel the same way.'

'He does. Know, I mean.'

'Are you sure?'

Okay, so he hadn't exactly said it out aloud very often. It just wasn't something he did, saying things like that, but he was sure Ianto knew. Why else would they still be together? He cast another glance at the car as Ianto slowly and quietly shut the door, leaving the man to sleep off the inexplicable things he'd seen just a few hours earlier. He gave Jack a brief smile, sort of grim and sad, but reassuring at the same time. Jack was never quite sure what that smile was meant to mean.

Gwen took his silence for a no. 'Jack, do you love him or not?'

'Of course!' Why was it so much easier to say that to Gwen than it was to Ianto?

'How much?'

'A lot.' Jack wasn't sure just how to put into words what he meant. Enough to deck anyone who threatened to impose on the status of their relationship, however undefined it was.

'Can I give you some advice?'

Jack sighed. 'I get the feeling you're going to whether I want it or not.'

'If you wake up and the first think you think of is him,'

'It is, he said, cutting her off. It helped that he was usually right there when Jack woke up, but he knew what she meant.

'Then, I think the only way you're ever going to get over your jealousy is to put a ring on it.'

'Huh?'

'A ring, Jack. Beyonce? Better put a ring on it?' Honestly he was so thick sometimes. 'Jack, for God's sake, if you really love him that much, if it helps you to know that when he goes to retcon someone it's still you he wants to be with...'

'You think I should propose?'

Gwen looked taken aback. 'You don't want to?'

'No, it's not that, I just... Well, I never really thought about it. Married is so...' He laughed.

'So what?' Gwen challenged, annoyed at Jack for laughing. 'It was good enough for me and Rhys.'

'I'm sorry,' he said, 'I didn't mean to laugh.' He watched as Ianto was slowly walking back towards them. 'You really think he'd say yes? If I asked?'

'I think he'd be mad if he didn't.'

Mad. That's what Jack thought it was. Would Ianto really, truly want to do something as crazy as marry him?

'Who'd be mad?' Ianto asked, catching the end of the conversation. He narrowed his eyes. 'Jack, have you done something I haven't found out about yet?'

Jack grinned at Gwen. 'Not yet. But I think might be in the near future.'

Ianto rolled his eyes at Jack. 'I don't know why I put up with you sometimes.'

'Because you love me?' Jack suggested, nudging him.

Ianto rolled his eyes again and tried to stop his face going red. 'Keep telling yourself that,' he said, making off towards the SUV.