galadriel1010 | Love Is A Game: A Night At The Movies

Title: Seize the Day (2/5)
Chapter Title: A Night At The Movies
Challenge/Fest: Schmoop_Bingo
Prompt: Movie Night
Rating: G
Dedication: For my best friend Ruth, who is great fun, an absolute sweetheart and made of utter awesome.
Summary: In a life that doesn't offer the chance for well planned out dates, Jack and Ianto start to seize their chances where they find them.
Contains: Fluff, suntan lotion, discussion of real estate investments, spontaneous dates and one not-so-spontaneous one, fireworks and love.

They'd had a tough day, but it was finally over. A lemur-like alien had led them a merry dance around a patch of woodland on the far side of Cardiff, and had only been caught when they stopped for some food and it snuck out of the wood to investigate them. It was currently draped around Tosh's shoulders, gibbering softly and playing with her hair.

Jack was driving, and really didn't want to go back to the Hub; he had so much to do that he wouldn't be able to leave that night, and he didn't want to keep Ianto at the Hub waiting for him. A sign at the entrance to one of the parks caught his eye and he pulled in at the side of the road with a grin, pulling the keys from the ignition. “Owen,” he dropped the keys in the surprised medic's lap and looked back over his shoulder at Ianto. “You can drive from here. Lock up and get home; Tosh, are you alright taking our visitor for the night, or would you rather leave him in the cells?”

“He can come with me,” she assured him, with a note of censure. Her fingers curled in the alien's blue-black fur, and it made an excited chirruping noise and wrapped its arms around her neck. “We're not going to have to...”

“You can keep him,” he laughed and turned to smile at Ianto. “Are you coming?”

Ianto covered his surprise and unfastened his seatbelt. “If I'm invited. Erm... where are we going?”

“Nice walk in the park, and then home.” Jack seized the opportunity of a break in the traffic and opened his door. “We'll see you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow, boys,” Gwen smiled at them tiredly and covered a yawn.

“Night, Harkness. Ianto, try to keep him out of trouble?” Owen asked.

“I'll do my best,” Ianto promised as he got out of the car. “See you tomorrow.”

Owen climbed inelegantly over the central console, and Jack reached out for Ianto's hand. “Are you hungry?”

Ianto thought about it and tugged Jack out of the way of the SUV. “Not really. Not yet, anyway. Why?”

“Well...” Jack pointed across the road to the poster he'd spotted. “I thought maybe dinner and a movie?”

“Yeah, okay,” Ianto smiled at him and started heading for the pedestrian crossing. “What are they showing?”

“I have no idea,” Jack confessed cheerfully. “We'll find out when we get there I suppose.”

They bought tickets at the gate and wandered through the park towards the temporary screen that had been set up. It was the one that they put up on the Plass or at the Castle occasionally for different events, like football matches and Children in Need. Neither of them had paid any attention to the film they were showing tonight; it was one of the new family films of the Summer, possibly the new Pirates of the Caribbean or Shrek. As they had fifteen minutes until it started, Jack found the ice cream van and bought two triple scoop cones. Ianto rolled his eyes and took Jack's free hand in his own again, gesturing with their joined hands to a patch of grass at the edge of the expanding crowd. “Over there?”

Jack shrugged and nodded. “It's as good as anywhere, really. I should have got the blanket out of the back of the SUV.”

“You never think of these things, do you?” Ianto asked, with an affected long-suffering sigh.

“No, because that's what I pay you for,” Jack pointed out. “You're supposed to keep me organised.”

“I may have the patience of a saint, but I do not have the miracle-working skills usually associated with the role, I regret to inform you,” Ianto said mournfully as they reached the spot they'd chosen. He released jack's hand and dropped to the grass, then spread his legs out and patted the grass between them. “Sit.”

Jack did so and leaned back against Ianto's chest, angling to one side so that they could both eat their ice creams comfortably. Ianto's arm wrapped loosely around his waist, but he shrugged the shoulder Jack was leaning against. “Don't put all your weight on me yet, Jack; I can't prop myself up.”

“Sorry,” he sat up straighter and covered Ianto's hand, aligning their fingers whilst most of his attention was on chasing drops of melted ice cream. “Do you think we're going to pay attention to the film, or just snog in the back row?”

“Well, we're not in the back row,” Ianto started to point out, then sighed and wiped Jack's cheek with his thumb. “You're hopeless. As I was saying, we're not in the back row, and this is a family film.”

“Kids need to get used to seeing two men together,” Jack frowned and rubbed at his own cheek. “It's the twenty first century.”

“Well yes, but from you?”

Jack thought about this and shrugged. “Well, fair point. I'm not that bad, though...” Ianto was silent. “Am I?” The silence continued. “You sound like the Doctor.”

“I don't mean it like that, Jack,” Ianto poked him. “And don't think I don't know why you brought him up. But you have to admit that we can get a bit carried away.”

“I can behave,” Jack protested. “Sometimes...”

“So prove it to me,” Ianto smiled against Jack's temple. “Sit quietly and watch the film.”

“Arse.”

“You love it,” he grinned. “Now hush.”

Halfway through the film, Ianto realised that Jack was nearly asleep against his shoulder, and that revelation led to the further epiphany that it had been a harder week than he'd thought; nothing particularly dangerous, but constant, and Jack had, as always, been picking up the slack. He'd shifted around once they both finished their ice creams, and had one arm bracing them both next to Ianto's, and the other wrapped around Ianto's waist, and he'd turned so that he was side on and could rest his cheek on Ianto's shoulder and still see past to the screen. His eyes were half-closed, and his breathing was steady and deep. Ianto closed his eyes and flattened his fingers against Jack's firm stomach. Dining out was probably not on the itinerary for tonight, but the evening was warm, the city was safe and the man he loved was nearly asleep in his arms, surrounded by families who weren't batting an eyelid, and there was an excellent take-away just around the corner from Ianto's flat. And they could always rent the DVD and watch it when Jack was more awake. For tonight, Ianto would take him home and take care of him, like Jack's personal healing potion.

And then he'd get some sleep himself and wake up ready to face the world and deny all knowledge of that analogy. Next chapter