Archive of Our Own ^beta

Part One

"Ianto!" Gwen called, hurrying to catch up as he walked along the quay. He had hoped for a quiet half hour to himself; he certainly didn't need to go out for coffee and pastries, as it was rather cold and grey, but he'd felt the need for fresh air. And sugar. And caffeine, preferably with a fancy whip cream design on top. It had been a slow, almost boring morning, underlined with an oppressive feeling of anticipation in the Hub that was making him anxious. Holding back a sigh, he turned and waited for her.

"Something come up?" he asked. "End of the world starting before lunch today?"

"No, I thought you might like some company," she replied.

He nodded knowingly. "You want to talk."

She laughed and took his elbow. He didn't mind too much, as long as she didn't badger him about something, most likely his personal life. "You know me well," she said. "So, do you have any plans for tonight?" And there it was, Gwen Cooper sticking her nose in where it shouldn't be; he held back a grimace and shook his head.

"Just work," he replied. "Why, are you asking me out?"

"Sorry, I'm a married woman now," she laughed. "Although I'd invite you out with us if I thought you'd actually want to spend New Year's Eve with Banana Boat."

"Good call," he said with a wink. "I think I'll take my chances with the Weevils."

"Sometimes I'd prefer them too," she said, pulling a face. "But it'll be fine. We haven't seen him since the wedding."

"Oh, did he get himself arrested in Majorca this time?" Ianto suggested, referring to mess the man had got himself into with Spanish police before Gwen's wedding. She squeezed his arm.

"No, and be nice. Tosh said the Rift should be quiet for the next twenty-four hours, so Jack officially gave us all the night off, and tomorrow too unless something comes up. Maybe you could do something."

The hint was obvious, that he could do something with Jack. He ignored it. "Yes, I could use a night off to clean the flat, sort my laundry, and reorganize my sock drawer. You know, start the new year right."

"That's not what I meant," she said, shaking her head. "And honestly, I'm don't know whether you're joking or not." He shrugged but with a small smile, and she continued. "I meant maybe you could do something with Jack." He raised his eyebrows and smirked this time. "Not that, I mean go out and celebrate New Year's Eve. On a date. Like normal couples."

"We're not a couple," Ianto pointed out, and continued before she could protest, since she'd already tried to pry the details about him and Jack from Ianto several times since the wedding. "Nor are we particularly normal. Besides, it's a bit late to book anything even if I wanted to. All the good restaurants will be full."

"You can find something," she insisted. "Have Jack pull some strings, or Tosh work some computer magic."

"That's cheating," Ianto said. "And Jack already has plans, so someone needs to mind the Hub."

"Wait, what?" she said, looking startled. "What do you mean, he has plans? Doing what?"

"Don't know, didn't ask," Ianto replied shortly. It was how they handled most things in their pseudo-relationship: by not talking about it. Denial was a powerful tool in maintaining any sort of sanity in their uniquely dysfunctional situation.

"Come on, you must know what he's doing. He should be spending New Year's Eve with you!"

"It's just another night, Gwen," he said. He wished she would stop pointing out something he'd been trying not to think about for days. Yes, they went out on dates, and yes, he would have liked to go out with Jack and actually do something for New Year's Eve that didn't involve work, but they hadn't talked about it, preferring to ignore it as they usually did. As the date loomed nearer, Ianto hadn't known how to bring it up; now it was New Year's Eve, Jack had plans, and Ianto was alone.

"It's a chance to end one year and start the next properly," Gwen said. "Why don't you want to celebrate? Especially with Jack?"

"Because good riddance to this year and why would I want to welcome another one of the same?" he asked. She looked so startled that he felt bad, so he tried to explain. "It's only that...well, it wasn't a particularly good year, was it, what with Jack leaving us for months, my mother dying, Owen... And we're Torchwood, so what's the point of looking forward to another year of the same?" He wasn't sure if it was his sour mood speaking, or if he really felt that way; he hadn't given it much thought, always pushing it aside because most of the time he refused to think about the future.

Gwen frowned. "Ianto, you don't think Jack is—"

He cut her off. "No, not that, I'm saying in general. Who knows what will happen. For all we know, this could be the year it all ends."

She dropped her arm from his and tucked her hands into her pocket. "You're awfully depressing sometimes, you know that?"

"Just pragmatic," he replied.

"Pragmatic doesn't mean dark and hopeless," she said. "You should go out and have some fun tonight. Jack said we don't have to stick around the Hub, and that includes you. Especially if he's already got plans, the stupid prat."

He glanced at her in surprise and saw how concerned she was. In a way, she was right. If it was going to be quiet around the Hub, maybe there wasn't any reason for him to stay. And if Jack gave them the next day off, he didn't have to go home and clean either, since he'd been half serious when he'd answered Gwen; he could go out and enjoy himself, forget about Jack for the night, and clean the flat the next day. Taking her arm again, he nodded.

"You're right," he said. "Maybe this year needs a ringing farewell. My local's having a party, and most of the regulars will probably be there, so maybe I'll head over after work."

"You should," she said. "It actually sounds more fun than my night!"

It occurred to him that at least she would be with Rhys, but as he and Jack weren't really a couple, he pushed the thought aside and didn't say anything. They talked about other things and ran their errands, before returning to the Hub with the promised coffee and pastries.

---

While the Rift stayed quiet, the Weevils definitely didn't. Right after lunch they started getting calls about Weevils in the streets, sending everyone out to chase them back into the sewers so Cardiff could go about its merrymaking come midnight. Tosh and Ianto were driving back to the Hub after their second run when Tosh brought it up.

"So do you and Jack have any plans for tonight?" she asked, sounding nothing more than curious.

"Nope," he replied, hoping it ended there. "How about you?"

"Of course I don't have any plans with Jack," she laughed. "I figured you did!"

Ianto rolled his eyes. "I meant, are you doing anything later? For New Year's Eve?"

She turned away and faced out the window. "Owen's coming over. We're going to watch the most ridiculous sci-fi movies we can find and make fun of them all night."

Ianto smiled, glad she had plans, even if it was with Owen. "Sounds like fun. Put Independence Day on the list."

"It already is, right next to Starship Troopers," she laughed. They added a few more to the list before she stopped mid-sentence. "Hang on, you're deflecting. Why don't you have any plans for tonight?"

Ianto shrugged. "I thought about it this morning after Gwen convinced me the world wasn't going to end, but with the Weevils coming out in droves now, it might be better if someone stayed behind at the Hub."

"Ianto!" she exclaimed. "You shouldn't stay in while the rest of us go out. That's not fair."

"That's Torchwood," he replied, unable to hide the bitterness from his voice. He wasn't bitter, not exactly, but after talking with Gwen, he'd actually started to look forward to going out to the pub after dinner to ring in the new year. He'd been going for months, since he'd moved into a newer, nicer flat nearby, and had grown to enjoy the local crowd, even considering some of them friends. And though he'd joked about spending time with the Weevils instead of Banana Boat, he didn't look forward to being on call and rounding them up all night while everyone else kept their plans.

"That's still not fair," she said. "Besides, if it stays like this, we might all be working tonight."

"I hope not," Ianto murmured. "You all have something to do, after all."

She was quiet for a moment. "So were you and Jack planning to do something special tonight?"

He glanced sideways at her. "I told you, we didn't make any plans."

"Were you going to stay in? If the Weevils calm down, he could monitor the calls from your flat, you know. You don't have to stay there."

"Why does everyone assume we're doing something together tonight?" Ianto grumbled. "It's just another night."

"It's New Year's Eve," she said, looking confused. "And you're…well, you and Jack…" She trailed off, obviously unable to articulate anything about him and Jack. They kept whatever it was to themselves most of the time, but Ianto would have been hard pressed to finish the sentence himself.

"Exactly," Ianto replied, turning into the car park where they kept the SUV. "Jack already has plans, and I was going to spend the night at my local shooting pool, but someone should stay here. So it's fine."

He pulled into a parking space, but Tosh stopped him from leaving the car. "What's Jack doing?" she asked.

"I have no idea," Ianto replied, but she pierced with him one of her 'yes-you-do-so-give-it-up' looks. He sighed. "Fine. He's staying at the St. David. He did last year too, must be some sort of standing date or something."

She frowned at him. "Oh Ianto, I don't think he has another date, not on New Year's Eve. Not when he's with you."

"Tosh," Ianto started, fulling intending to protest that Jack wasn't 'with' him in any way, but she cut him off, wisely choosing not to press the Jack issue. Gwen would have pushed it, but Tosh knew when to stop.

"You should come over to mine," she said. "I'm sure Owen won't mind, and stuff it if he does. We can keep him from getting too morose. I have prosecco!"

He smiled, because that was their favorite drink to share together. Squeezing her hand, he nodded. "I'll think about it, but I don't want to interrupt your night. If things look good to leave, then maybe I'll stick with my original plan and have a few drinks."

"Good," she said. "Because if he's such a jerk that he didn't even ask you to join him on New Year's Eve at a posh hotel, then you should definitely go out and have a good time on your own."

"I hope the Weevils agree," Ianto replied. And he really did. He didn't want to chase Weevils while Jack did whatever he was planning on doing at one of the nicest hotels in town. On New Year's Eve. With someone else.

---

The Weevils didn't agree.

They had several more calls before it began to calm down. Ianto went out with Gwen, who surprisingly enough didn't badger him about his plans again. Of course, that might have been because they were too busy chasing multiple Weevils within walking distance of the Hub, and they were particularly fast and aggressive. Both of them took a few good hits, Gwen lamenting the state of her jeans, Ianto ruining yet another colored shirt. They limped back to the Hub, tired and out of breath, and threw themselves on the sofa before Owen chivvied them downstairs to clean them up.

Gwen went first and hobbled back upstairs to lie down on the sofa with an ice pack on her hip. Ianto let Owen clean the scratch on his neck; fortunately, it didn't need stitches, but he did put a rather large plaster over it, snickering when he stood back.

"Tell Harkness to be careful on that side," he said.

Ianto rolled his eyes. "Not a problem," he replied before he could stop himself. Owen snorted.

"Oh come on, you can't tell me you two aren't planning to get it on all night."

"No plans other than chasing Weevils," Ianto replied, hopping off the table. "Someone's got to make sure Cardiff is still standing for another year."

"And you two are the ones to do it?" Owen asked skeptically. "What, in between shags?"

"Jack's got plans," Ianto told him, walking away. "I wish everyone would stop assuming we're going to shag the night away. It's just another night."

"Hang on," said Owen, reaching out to snag his arm. "You're telling me Jack's going out on his own and sticking you with this place? Alone? On New Year's Eve? Because that's bullshit."

"Jack has plans, and since Gwen has plans and Tosh has plans and you have plans, I figured someone needs to stay here and protect the planet."

"Right. So you're playing the martyr tonight? Am I supposed to feel bad for you, then?"

Ianto shrugged and pulled away. "I didn't have any plans. Thought about heading to my local, that's about it."

Owen crossed his arms in front of him and frowned. "What's Jack doing if he's not doing you?"

"St. David, same as last year," Ianto replied.

"Oh, right," Owen said, nodding. "He does that every year. Has for years. Why aren't you going?"

"Because he didn't ask," Ianto snapped. "So why are you?"

"Because I'm morbidly curious," Owen replied. "Shouldn't you two be whooping it up in luxury to celebrate another glorious year with Torchwood?"

"As I told Gwen, I'm not sure what there is to celebrate," Ianto replied as he stomped up the stairs. "So if you're done, I'm going to go finish my paperwork and cross my fingers that the Weevils stay where they belong so I don't have to stick around here thinking about all the other things I could be doing."

"I can cover for you, you know," Owen called up to him. "If you wanted to—"

"It's fine, Owen," Ianto said wearily. "But thank you. Maybe if the Weevils stop running around, I'll stick with my original plan."

"Get soused at your local?" Owen suggested.

"Exactly."

"You could join me and Tosh," he offered. Ianto thought for a moment he'd stepped into an alternate universe; he shook his head and returned to his own more depressing one.

"No, you two have fun with your bad movie list. I'll be fine."

"Call if you get yourself arrested, then. We'll bail you out."

Ianto shook his head as he returned to his station. Jack and Tosh were still out on their Weevil chase. He double-checked to see if any more had popped up and was relieved to see that it was quiet; maybe that was the end of it. The Rift program was also predicting nothing for at least twenty-four hours. He hoped both the Weevils and the Rift stayed that way. Now more than anything he wanted to get out of the Hub and away from nosy coworkers constantly asking him about his plans for New Year's Eve, and in particular, his plans with Jack.

Because yes, he wanted to be with Jack, but Jack had plans, and those plans didn't include Ianto.

---

 

Part Two

The Rift cooperated, and the Weevils went back to the sewers, and not one alien race decided to invade from outer space. It looked like New Year's Eve might be uninterrupted after all. Ianto went down to the archives for a few quiet hours alone, because he didn't feel like seeing anyone and answering more questions. In particular, he didn't want to see Jack.

They'd hardly spoken all day. Jack had spent a good part of the morning on the phone, and most of the afternoon chasing Weevils, and then had gone out on his own without telling anyone where he was going. After talking to the others and dealing with their reactions to his lack of plans with Jack, Ianto had started to resent the fact that Jack hadn't said anything to him about New Year's Eve. He hadn't mentioned going out, hadn't asked Ianto to join him, nothing. Ianto half wondered if Jack had left early and was already at the hotel, tucked away in his luxury suite with whomever he was spending the night with. Especially when Jack texted Tosh and told them all to go home for the night.

Normally Ianto would wait and finish his work around the Hub, picking up and shutting down, so that when Jack returned they'd be free to do whatever they wanted— play a round of naked hide and seek, go out to dinner, head back to Ianto's flat. But when he came upstairs, Ianto decided he didn't want to wait this time. If Jack wanted him to stay, he should have texted Ianto, not Tosh.

The others looked at him with barely disguised pity, which only increased his resentment and disappointment. Tosh and Gwen actually helped him clean up, and Owen set the alarms, and they all walked out together. Ianto found that as soon as he was in his car and driving away from the Hub, he felt marginally better. He'd take a quick shower before walking over to The Silver Quill, where he would relax with a couple of pints of beer until midnight and not worry about whatever Jack was doing. Sorted.

Letting himself into his flat, Ianto was surprised to find the kitchen light on. He was fairly certain he'd turned it off when he'd left that morning; in fact, he didn't remember even stopping in the kitchen before hurrying to work. Taking out his gun, he moved around the flat, that odd feeling of someone having been there prickling at the back of his neck. He couldn't pinpoint anything out of place, and yet he still felt like someone had been there, walking around and moving things. He checked all the rooms, the closets, even behind the curtains, but there was no other sign of an intruder other than one light and his gut instinct.

Shaking his head at his paranoia, he nevertheless locked the front door before he went to the bathroom to clean up. And he kept his gun with him as well, setting it on the toilet and laughing at himself. He showered and shaved, then pulled on dark jeans and grabbed his favorite pullover from the closet. Once again he had the feeling that someone had been in the flat, rummaging through his things, but he set it aside, determined to enjoy a normal night. He grabbed his wallet, watch, and mobile, slipped on boots and leather coat, and left the flat, making sure all the lights were off.

The short walk to The Silver Quill cleared his head enough that when he walked in, he was ready to put the day behind him. He checked his mobile, sending Tosh a quick text to tell her that yes, he'd gone out and wouldn't be coming by, then set it to vibrate and slipped it into his coat pocket as he ordered his first pint and sat down, determined to enjoy his night.

The pub was busy, but he recognized a lot of the people as the regulars he'd come to know over the months since he'd first come in for a drink. He'd moved into a new flat while Jack had been gone, and though he didn't spend as much time at the pub now that Jack was back, he still stopped in at least once a week. Cerys and David were in a booth with Josh, Marc, and Sara; Aidan was tending bar; several friendly blokes were playing pool; and at a nearby table, Jake, Cadi, and Gareth were waving him over, so Ianto joined them.

It didn't take long to relax. The pub was crowded and noisy, but it was also warm and comfortable. He had another pint, talking and laughing with people he'd started to consider more than acquaintances if not actually friends, before Jake and Cadi pulled him up for a game of pool. They paired him with a new friend of theirs, Samantha; she was an experienced player, and she and Ianto took a quick lead. Taking a break before starting the second game, Ianto glanced up and about froze in place when he saw a familiar face at the bar, watching him with a look that Ianto couldn't quite read, but thought was surprised, sad, and affectionate all at once.

He stuttered an apology to Jake and made his way over to the bar, where Jack was nursing a scotch as he watched Ianto approach. Motioning to Aidan for another pint, Ianto pulled up a seat next to Jack, not sure what to say.

"Hi," he said. "Fancy meeting you here." It was incredibly lame, but also true, and there was an awkward tension between them that Ianto wasn't sure how else to address.

Jack smiled, small but crooked as he glanced down into his drink. "Seemed like a good place to have a drink, ring in the New Year."

"It is." Ianto took his pint and thanked Aidan, who definitely looked curious, before turning back to Jack. "I thought you had plans for tonight."

"I did," said Jack. "I didn't realize you did, too."

"I didn't," Ianto replied. "Not really."

"You left early," Jack said, swirling his glass.

Ianto shrugged and took a long pull. "I left with the others. I didn't have any reason to stay." Jack glanced up with a hurt frown. "The Weevils were back in the sewers, the Rift was quiet, and you'd already left without a word, so yes, I went home. And I decided I didn't feel like spending New Year's Eve alone so I came down here for a few hours." He knew he sounded defensive, but he couldn't help it.

Jack sighed and ran a nervous hand through his hair before he glanced around and leaned closer to Ianto. "Look, I'm sorry I left without saying anything this afternoon, but I wanted to surprise you."

Ianto blinked. "I don't understand. Surprise me with what?"

"I went over to your flat and packed an overnight bag this afternoon," Jack said. "I thought you'd still be at the Hub when I got back so I could surprise you and take you out for the night."

"Okay," Ianto replied, setting down his pint and filtering through the dozens of questions that immediately came to mind. "First of all, how did you get into my flat?"

"I used the key you taped to the top of your mailbox," Jack replied. "In case you ever got locked out or had an emergency."

"How did you get in my mailbox?" Ianto asked.

"I nicked the key when you were in the archives," Jack said.

"Why not take the key to my flat?"

"Because you would have definitely noticed that."

Which was certianly true. He'd been too distracted to stop for his mail when he'd got home, so he hadn't noticed the smaller key missing. What was more surprising was that Jack had thought of it, and why.

"You left the kitchen light on," Ianto said.

"Sorry." Jack grinned sheepishly. "I grabbed that bottle of wine we didn't get to open at Christmas."

"Right." Ianto shook his head. "I thought someone had been there, but I couldn't figure out what it was."

"I packed your toiletries from the Hub, but needed some more clothes, a nice suit for dinner…" He trailed off, probably at the look of disbelief on Ianto's face. "I'm sorry I went through your things."

"No, it's fine," said Ianto. "It's not that, it's just…I still don't understand why you would do all that. I thought you were spending the night at St. David's."

"How did you know that?" Jack asked in surprise.

"I know everything," Ianto murmured. Someday the others would realize it and finally believe him. Of course, when the hotel had called to confirm and Ianto had answered, it had been obvious.

"Then why did you leave?" Jack asked. "I tried calling you earlier but you didn't answer. So I thought maybe you'd figured it out and had checked in on your own, but the front desk said you hadn't been there."

"Why would I go to your hotel room on New Year's Eve?" Ianto asked, turning away. "I thought you…god, what if I walked in on you with…" He trailed off, staring into the crowd until he felt Jack touch his leg and turn him back toward the bar.

"Why wouldn't you come to my hotel room on New Year's Eve?" Jack asked quietly. "That's why I packed your bag. I have reservations for dinner at half past nine, with a deluxe suite on the fourteenth floor. We could still make it, if you were interested."

Ianto stared at him, completely shocked. He didn't know what to do, what to say, what to even think. Which was when Jake and Gareth came up to them then, eyeing Jack suspiciously.

"This guy bothering you, Ianto?" asked Jake. Ianto stared at Jack, fully expecting him to turn on the charm, but Jack only offered a small smile and took a long sip of his drink, obviously letting Ianto answer.

"No, it's fine. We, er, we work together."

"Bad news from work, then?" asked Gareth. "Because you look a bit peaky all of a sudden."

"No," Ianto said again, shaking his head and beginning to smile as it started to become clear. "No, it's all good. This is Jack. Jack, this is Jake and Gareth."

They all nodded at one another, and Ianto felt the friction in the air between them, but strangely enough, it didn't bother him. Jack had packed a bag for him. Jack had found him. Jack wanted to spend New Year's Eve with him.

"So are you coming back to the game or does Gareth need to fill in for you?" asked Jake after a long moment of silence.

"Oh," said Ianto. "Um, yeah, if you could step in, then Samantha doesn't have to forfeit. Thanks."

They didn't leave, though. Gareth was frowning at Jack. "You sure everything's all right, Ianto?"

Ianto finished his pint and actually grinned. "Yeah, it really is. Actually, Jack asked me to spend the night with him."

Gareth stepped closer, eyeing Jack with a critical eye. "Gorgeous but conceited. How much did he offer?"

Jack's eyes went so wide that Ianto couldn't help laughing. Gareth flung a protective arm around Ianto's shoulder. "Because Ianto here is probably worth more than you could afford, even if he was interested."

Seeing Jack speechless was quite possibly the best part of Ianto's night so far. "It's not like that," he told his friends, shaking his head with another smile. "We're actually … er, sort of…" He glanced at Jack, who now looked amused at Ianto's inarticulate response. "Well, you know… it's not like he has to pay me to go out with him. I just wasn't expecting to see him tonight."

Jack shook his head. "I don't know why," he murmured. "It is New Year's Eve, after all."

"And someone is not very good at surprises," Ianto murmured back.

"And someone else is good at jumping to the wrong conclusion," said Jack, but he was smiling, and so was Ianto. Jake rolled his eyes at them.

"Christ, they're flirting and fighting like a proper old couple. Come on, Gareth, let them figure it out." He pointed a finger at Ianto. "You have a lot to explain later, though."

"Yeah," murmured Gareth, staring at him. "If I'd known I'd had a chance…" He shook his head in mock sadness and offered his hand to Jack. "You're a lucky bastard, you know." Jake laughed and pulled Gareth away. Ianto stared after them until Jack tapped him on the knee.

"So," he said. "Were those friends of yours and did they really think I was offering you money to sleep with me?"

"Yes, and they probably did. Though it's hard to tell with some of them, especially Gareth." He shook his head. "Sorry about that, it couldn't have been more awkward, huh?"

Jack laughed. "It was definitely not what I was expecting when I walked in. I suppose I should be the one apologizing for crashing your party, although if you'd answered your phone…" He trailed off with a smile.

Ianto patted his pockets and groaned. "It's in my coat, that's why I didn't answer. So my turn to apologize. How did you find me?"

"You've mentioned this place several times," Jack replied. "But I also tracked your phone. And I apologize for not coming right out and asking you to join me tonight," Jack replied. "But I thought it would be fun to surprise you."

"It was definitely a surprise," Ianto murmured. "I thought you'd left for the night."

"Without saying anything?" asked Jack. "You didn't think something was up, not even once?"

"Not even once," Ianto said. "I thought…well, I thought you had another date. We didn't talk about doing anything together, and you had a room booked at a nice hotel. I know you went last year, and then Owen said you'd been going for several years, so I assumed…"

"You assumed I was seeing someone else tonight?" Jack asked, sounding half surprised and half disappointed.

"An old flame, maybe," Ianto replied with a shrug. "You've spent a lot of New Years in Cardiff, after all."

Jack shook his head and moved closer. "If this were a movie, I'd kiss you right now," he murmured. "To tell you how wrong you are."

"I'm sorry," Ianto replied, feeling utterly ridiculous. "I shouldn't have assumed."

"Like you said, we didn't talk about it," Jack said. "I wanted to ask, but I wanted to surprise you more."

Ianto chanced a question. "But Owen said you've been going there for several years. Do you…do you take someone else every year?"

Jack pulled his chair closer again and laid his hand on Ianto's leg. "No, I don't. I've been going by myself for the last seven years."

"Seven years?" Ianto asked in surprise, thinking back.

"I don't like being in the Hub on New Year's Eve. Call me superstitious, but I always find a nice hotel nearby instead of celebrating with ghosts."

With ghosts…Ianto recalled something about the last director of Torchwood killing his entire team at the millennium, and Jack returning to the Hub to find them all dead. He reached for Jack's hand, uncaring of anyone around them.

"I'm sorry," he said. "Of course you wouldn't want to stay at the Hub alone. I should have asked you over to mine."

"I haven't spent the night with anyone in years, because I've never been with anyone long enough to want to spend the night with them," Jack said. "On New Year's Eve, that is. Until now. So are you interested, now that I've really mucked it up?"

"I mucked it up just as much, if not more," Ianto replied. "But yeah, I'm interested. Posh hotel, amazing food, what's not to like?"

"Don't forget the king-size bed with me in it," Jack laughed, and Ianto joined him, leaning closer.

"Best part," he murmured. "So when do we leave?"

Jack raised an eyebrow. "You sure you don't want to stay longer? I don't mind."

Ianto glanced around the pub. It was his haven, in a way, a place to escape and enjoy a normal few hours with people he'd come to like and respect. Several of them were watching him and glanced away as he caught their eye, except for Jake, who smiled and nodded. Ianto nodded back and turned to Jack.

"No, let's make that dinner reservation. We can come here any time."

Jack's smile was infectious and he leaned forward as if he was going to kiss Ianto, but stopped just short with a raised eyebrow. Ianto closed the distance and kissed him, ignoring the whistles from the nearby tables. Normally he would have been reluctant to display such a public sign of their relationship, but at that moment he didn't care. He'd spent the day thinking he'd be on his own for New Year's Eve, because Jack had plans without him. Finding out Jack had planned to be with him all along, that he'd even packed a bag so he could surprise Ianto with dinner and a night at the St. David, was not something he'd ever expected. Grand gestures were not their thing.

The kiss was quick but intense. Ianto pulled back with a grin, which Jack returned. "What are you going to tell them?" he asked, inclining his head toward the table where most of Ianto's friends sat, still watching. Jake was even waving Ianto's coat, as if encouraging him to leave.

Ianto considered. "I'll tell them you offered ten thousand pounds," he said, and Jack burst out laughing before he pulled Ianto close again.

"You're worth much more, you know," he said quietly. Ianto rolled his eyes.

"And you don't need to pay me," he replied. "Let me get my coat and settle up so we can go."

He hurried over to the table where his friends sat, all of them grinning as he walked up to them.

"So what's new, Ianto?" asked Sara, trying to sound innocent and failing when half the table burst out laughing. "Anything you'd like to tell us?"

"Not really," he replied, taking his coat from Jake. "Since you were all watching anyway."

"How long's this been going on?" Jake asked. "Since you never once mentioned seeing someone."

Ianto pulled on his coat. "About six months, actually. And it's not…well, I'm not sure what it is, but it's something. I hate to skip out on you, but apparently he meant to surprise me with dinner and a night at the St. David, only I left work in a bit of a huff before he could."

There were several gasps and cheers around the table. After a few pats on the back and several demands to get the entire story another night, plus one or two requests to bring Jack around to the pub sometime, Ianto finally escaped. His friends had been surprised but supportive, and he found he wasn't that concerned about them knowing. In fact, he felt better than he had all night. He'd enjoyed his time at the pub, but was looking forward to spending the rest of his night with Jack. And the thought of bringing Jack with him next time was actually quite appealing. .

They left the pub with one last wave to the others amid good wishes for the new year. As soon as they stepped outside, Jack took his hand.

"I'm glad you were still available," he said as they walked toward Jack's car. "I can't think of a better way to spend New Year's Eve."

Ianto squeezed his hand. "I'm only sorry I didn't say anything and assumed all the wrong things about tonight."

"It's fine," Jack said. "We figured it out, and I'm looking forward to dinner."

"I'm looking forward to after dinner," Ianto murmured. He pressed himself closer to Jack's side. "Although, maybe we'll have time for an appetizer if we hurry."

"I love the way you think!" Jack laughed as they climbed into the car, and kissed him long and hard in the front seat before he set off for the hotel. Ianto leaned his head against the window, still unable to believe any of it was really happening. He'd been so worried and disappointed about New Year's Eve, telling the others it was just another night in a vain effort to convince himself that's all it was, even when it wasn't.

Now it was much more. He was with Jack, and Jack was with him, and he somehow knew it would be a night to remember. And maybe the new year would bring more opportunities for him and Jack to spend time together away from the Hub, to live normal lives once in a while, to celebrate when they could. It was a probably too much to hope for, but they were spending New Year's Eve with one another in an amazing hotel. At least they could start the new year together.

And perhaps many more.

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