That Certain Night (5/5)

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Title: That Certain Night

Author: Meabhair

Summary: AU – Ianto Jones turned down an interview with his ex’s company and decided on a better offer.

Characters: Ianto Jones, Rose Taylor, 9^th Doctor

Pairing: budding Rose/Doctor, prior Ianto/Lisa

Warnings: AU, un-beta’d, PG-13  

 

Spoilers: Season 1 New Who, pre Season 1 Torchwood  

Disclaimer: This work is not intended for profit, and all creative rights to the characters belong to their original creator(s). Torchwood is ©2006-present British Broadcasting Service Wales (BBC Wales).   Doctor Who is © 1963-present British Broadcasting Service (BBC). Copyrighted material is used without permission of the BBC. 

 

Chapter 5 of 5

Using a couple of subtle eyerolls to indicate why he had been out of the cafe when he got back, Ianto allowed Ben to jump to several conclusions. Just because the man couldn’t differentiate between the ‘off saving the world’ eyeroll with a ‘come on, she’s blonde’ eyeroll wasn’t Ianto’s fault.  On the other hand, considering the fact that Ianto’d covered for Ben so often, he supposed it could just be payback. Given that he’d also managed to wrangle an early finish, he sorted himself the espresso that he’d promised and steamed some milk for a latte for Rose, carrying it back to the table that it had all started from.

“Oh, that’s different, lovely though” Sighed Rose happily after taking a sip. “I don’t care what the Doctor says about tea, sometimes all you crave is a coffee when you’re travelling.”

“Given that it’s one of the most common drinks on earth, I assume you mean travelling further than Oz, hmm?” Ianto asked dryly.

Rose gave him a long level look, before giving him a bright smile. 

“Yeah, something like that. It’s amazing, really, travelling. Gives you a chance to see things you’d never imagine.”

“Yep. You never see unbalanced kids, with too much pressure from home doing stupid things. Or being too scared to back down. No you’d never see that round here.”

“Lowest form of wit that.” Rose swatted at him playfully. 

“Most common denominator, more like” Ianto grinned back at her. He’d missed this, moving to London and away from his friends. He had wanted to get away from the worst parts of living in Cardiff, but he’d also managed to cut himself off from his friends and his sister. On his to do list, along with the looking up of the word ‘defuse’, would be to contact them. He also may leave off the kicking himself, seeing as nobody was hurt. 

“Well, that’s gratitude, that is. No tea? Typical ape. You do all the work and nobody takes note. Completely blind you lot are, don’t know what’s going on right below their noses.” 

The Doctor dropped into a seat at the table, Ianto was amused to note that it was between himself and Rose. He’d doubt that was coincidence, but hid his smirk in his mug. 

“Doctor, it’s a bit impolite to jump to conclusions” he nodded to Ben and his smirk grew broader when Ben arrived over carrying a large pot of English Breakfast Tea. Pity about the way he looked at the Doctor and Rose before looking at Ianto with a sympathetic ‘hate that, mate’ look on his face as he headed back to the counter, but you couldn’t have everything. That said, the surprised expression on the Doctor’s face did make up for it and Rose’s peal of laughter was just the added cherry to it. He placed his mug down on the table, reaching for his coat so he could head off. Things to do, flat to move out of, plans to make and places to be. 

“So, what? You scared off? Of a little bitty thing like Rose?”

The Doctor ignored Rose’s outraged reaction and swat, but looked intently at Ianto. Looking back, Ianto saw the gaze of a powerful being paying full attention to him. Part of him, the sensible part most probably, gibbered a bit and suggested that there was only such a short way to the door, but most of him looked back. He had been waiting for something, he’d thought it was that interview with the strange company his ex had worked for, but he’d been wrong. It was this, this was the time to reach for something more than what he’d been brought up to expect.

“Nope. She’s scary enough to keep you in line, but she likes me.”

Rose grinned brightly at him as the Doctor tried to keep the scowl in place. He didn’t quite manage, but neither of the other two were going to point it out. 

“There’s scarier things than confused kids out there. Beauty and terror in one package.” The Doctor mused over his cup.

Ianto kept what he called his ‘Bond Face’ on, the one he hid behind. He recognised that the Doctor was leading up to something, in the manly way of approaching it from the side and around the edges. He could say no, both of them could walk away without having risked a refusal. He’d even used it himself a few times, Ianto acknowledged to himself wryly, when approaching a girl he’d fancied. And wasn’t that just a disturbing train of thought? He met the Doctor’s eyes, and nodded slightly. The answering nod was just as subtle, partially hidden behind the cup.

“You could come with us? See it all? The galaxy may have the same problems as we do, but it’s also got the most amazing sights to see. You mentioned travelling, what do you think?” Rose blurted out, before turning to the Doctor with big eyes as he looked at her with a stoic face.

Ianto paused for a beat. “If that’s alright with you both, I think I’d like that.”

The Doctor blustered for a moment, mainly to see Rose’s pleasure in winning an argument, Ianto thought. Finishing the drinks, Rose and the Doctor took a moment to gather their coats while Ianto dropped two letters behind the counter to Ben. Happy that he’d tied up some loose ends, he let Rose reassure him that he’d be able to phone anyone he needed on her phone. He followed them to the door, before looking back for a second. Yep, he was travelling, and it defiantly wasn’t to Oz. He may not be sure where, but it’d be different from Cardiff. On the positive side, it probably wouldn’t be raining.