m_findlow

Title: Make a wish
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Ianto, Jack, Rhiannon, Johnny, Mica
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 810 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for juliet316's prompt "Any, any, kiss and don't tell" at fic_promptly
Summary: Ianto has a birthday gift for someone else.

'Happy birthday, pet,' Rhiannon said, coming back out of the kitchen carrying what looked to be a three tiered chocolate cake. Jack eyes were already all aglow with delight at the sight of so much chocolate and mock cream.

'You really didn't have to,' Ianto insisted, hating being the centre of attention.

'Don't be daft, it's your birthday,' she replied. 'You have to have a cake. It's tradition.'

'And we can't go against tradition,' Jack added, nudging his lover.

He rolled his eyes and conceded defeat. The kids would enjoy it more than him, anyway, including the big kids. Personally, he'd stopped celebrating birthdays years ago.

Rhiannon pulled a box from her jacket pocket, beginning to pull out candles. 'Do you want to count out the candles, Mica?'

'Remove those candles and no one gets hurt,' Ianto warned her. They'd end up setting fire to the cake with the requisite number.

'Fine,' she said, 'but it's got to have at least one,' she replied, emphatically shoving it right in the centre, ending the argument.

By the time the singing and frivolity was over, he felt thoroughly stupid, making such a fuss over the day. All he'd really wanted was dinner with his closest family and Jack. That was celebration enough as far as he was concerned.

'Here you go,' Rhiannon said, handing him the knife. 'Make a wish, and you know what to do if it comes out dirty.'

'You make dirty wishes, Ianto?' Jack asked, intensely curious.

'Not the wish, you nitwit. The knife.'

'Oh. What happens then?' he asked.

A coy smile played across his sister's face. 'You haven't told him, have you?'

'Told him what?' Ianto said, acting equally coy, knowing precisely what Rhiannon was getting at.

'If the knife comes out dirty, you're supposed to kiss the person sitting closest to you.'

'And that's a little bad thing why?' That seemed like a perfectly good rule to Jack.

'Well, it just wouldn't be the first time Ianto's kissed a boy on his birthday, that's all.'

'Rhi!'

'What? It's true. When Ianto was six, Mum and Dad had a big party in the park inviting all the cousins and the kids from school. When it came time for the cake, Mum told him that if the knife came out dirty, he'd have to kiss the person closest, so he stuck the knife in and when it came out all covered in cake, he leant straight over and pecked little Robert Edwards right there on the lips. No hesitation, no little brush of the cheek, just got stuck right in.'

'No!' Jack clapped two hands over his mouth, unable to hide his shock and delight.

'I hate you,' Ianto said, going red from ear to ear. 'That story was never meant to see the light of day and you knew it. So much for kiss and don't tell.'

'It's an adorable story,' Rhiannon argued.

'Maybe if it had happened to someone else, perhaps,' Ianto muttered.

'And you thought you'd only gone bender a few years ago,' Johnny said. 'That poor kid has probably been in therapy every since.'

'Ianto Jones, you little hussy!' Jack teased.

'I...' he stuttered. 'It wasn't like that. I was just following the rules. I didn't know Mum was just kidding.' He was beyond mortified by the memory. Trust his family to take advantage of his innocence, and to make him regret it for years to come.

'We all know better than to sit near Ianto when he cuts the birthday cake now, unless of course you really want a snog from him,' Rhiannon said, huge grin all over her face.

'I can think of worse things,' Jack said. 'Come on then, Ianto. Don't keep us all waiting in suspense. Cut that cake and make a wish.'

He gripped the knife, considering what else he might be able to do with it apart from cut cake, and contemplated wishing for the floor to open up and eat him whole. He slipped it down into the center, bringing down the rest of it into the cake very carefully, and slowly drawing it horizontally back out, determined to make it the cleanest cut that had ever been made. He almost succeeded too, before someone jostled his elbow, forcing his hand back by reflex, leaving him gripping a knife covered in cream and little flakes of chocolate.

'Aw, that's a shame,' Jack said, not guilty for even a second that he'd intentionally interfered with Ianto's efforts. 'Well, you know the rules. And you are such a firm rule follower, after all.' Jack leant across, lips puckered in anticipation.

He was sorely disappointed when Ianto turned around and hugged Mica, kissing her, hearing a squeal and then a giggle.

'Hey, no fair!' Jack sulked.

Ianto shrugged. 'Don't look at me, I didn't make the rules. She was closest.'