m_findlow

Title: Getting to know you
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters/Pairings: Jack, Ianto
Word Count: 500 words
Rating: PG
Notes: Written for Challenge 90 - Excellent at anythingdrabble
Summary: Jack's attendance at UNIT's latest conference doesn't turn out as bad as he expected.

Ianto sighed as he heard their front door open and shut. 'And so it begins,' he murmured to himself, pushing away from the desk in the study to come downstairs and greet his husband.

Jack was still in the hallway, toeing off his boots, and his small suitcase propped up against the wall.

'So, how was the conference?' Ianto asked, keeping a tentative distance in case Jack was about to fly into a rage.

Instead, Jack surprised him by stepping forward and kissing him tenderly, a smile playing across his face. 'It was excellent.' Jack leaned in for another kiss and Ianto let him, before pulling away.

'Excuse me? Did I just hear you describe a conference as excellent?' He set his hands on his hips and glared. 'Who are you and what have you done with my Jack?'

Jack chuckled, pulling him back close. 'It's me, Ianto. The original. Never been improved upon.'

'The Jack I know would never describe a conference as excellent. Not even good. The Jack I know hates these things.'

'And I do,' Jack affirmed, 'but on this one occasion I'm prepared to make the exception.'

Ianto sensed there was more to this. 'Explain.'

'Well, it was just as expected, boring and pointless until we got to the afternoon session.'

'The afternoon session being?'

'A demonstration of UNIT's latest project - a time distortion field. Nothing as fancy as what Tosh came up with, of course, but they do have some smart people.'

Ianto failed to see how a live demonstration could redeem conferences in Jack's eyes. 'And?'

'It... needs work,' Jack confessed.

Ianto sensed a "but" and sighed. 'What happened?'

'Just a little time loop. Nothing I couldn't fix, but I wanted them to have a go first.'

Ianto punched the bridge of his nose. 'Just how long were you all stuck in there?' He was imagining several of UNIT's top brass now looking old and grey.

'Only three weeks. But we made the most of it, you know, since we were all stuck there.'

'What did you do?'

'Well, it turned out the field extended just beyond the hotel and across the street to the local pub, so we went there every day and got drunk. Great thing about a time loop is that you can drink all day long and when you wake up the next morning, it's the day before, so no hangovers. You should've seen those generals in action. A few of them even drunk me under the table.'

Ianto gave Jack his annoyed slash disappointed look. 'Shouldn't you have instead been helping them fix the time loop?'

'I did eventually help out. I'm not totally without scruples, Ianto.'

'That's debatable.'

'Come on. It was too good an opportunity to really get to know people. Isn't that what these conferences are all about? Inter-agency co-operation. Strip away the epaulets and the medals and they're wild!'

'And you didn't, you know.... take advantage of them?'

Jack grinned. 'Wouldn't you like to know?'