I miss him deeply

 

THE LAST BOOK FROM R. SACKS

BOOK REVIEW

Felix Tempts Jack Harkness - Part VI: Is this wise?

I've been keeping my biographer busy with research, so I apologize this took this crafty writer so long.  Here is her next chapter in this Torchwood fanfiction.  Enjoy!

Part VI – Is this wise?

And you make me talk

And you make me feel

And you make me show

What I'm trying to conceal

If I trust in you

Would you let me down?

Would you laugh at me

If I said I care for you?

Could you feel the same way too, I wanna know

The name of the game

·       Name of the Game, as sung by ABBA

Under normal circumstances, Ianto would be fully engaged in movie watching, the older the movie the better – the silents were his favourite.  But now was not that time.  Now, both of them were semi-dressed again and sitting in the living room.   Additionally, To Have and Have Not was on the tellie and just past the part where Lauren Bacall asks if Bogart knows how to use his lips.  That scene revealed the heat growing between the actors that would bloom into a happy marriage lasting until Bogart’s death.   Watching it now made Ianto a bit sad.  He’d wanted such passion between Lisa and him but it never got there.  And as Ianto thought about it more, he started to accept the possibility – no, the reality – that Lisa did not love him as he loved her.   And he wondered if she would have gone to the same lengths he had to save him from turning into a monster.

“Penny for your thoughts!” Jack asked.  He’d noted Ianto’s face and didn’t like it.  “You look like you’ve come to some unhappy conclusion.”

Ianto shook his head, dismissing the older man.  “No, eh, nothing,” he waved off.  “Right, cup of tea?”

“Sure, should we pause the movie?”

“That’s okay, I can hear from the kitchen.  I put a second screen and speakers in there a few months ago.”   Ianto stood up.  “Snacks?  My sister made me some fabulous,  They should still be fresh.”

“Sure,” said Jack.  “Are you and your sister close?”

“Do you mean does she know about Torchwood?  No, but otherwise we are close.  She’s married with a couple of kids.  I visit when I can.”  Ianto looked off longingly, wondering if he too would ever have a family.  “Visiting them is a nice change.”

Jack chuckled.  He recalled the families he had created over the decades, some successful, others not so much but each long gone and visits became awkward over time as folx aged and he did not.  Yet, Jack had forgotten how much he liked being married, despite its difficulties and struggles.  “Have you thought about having a family?  I mean, to hear Gwen and Reese . .  . well, that’s all they talk about when I go to their house for dinner.”  Jack wasn’t sure he should or could talk about that part of his past, especially after his last marriage – it was all so painful, and he’d done things for which there was no forgiveness – no coming back from.  Immortality just gave you more time to fuck up.

Ianto didn’t answer.  He was already in the kitchen wondering how he could convince Jack to return to bed and finish Ianto’s education.  Jack heard the young man moving around, the clink of items being loaded on a tray.  It took Felix to remind Jack why he should not get any crazy ideas.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Harkness!” sneered Ianto’s pet.  “You have little to offer other than your sex skills.  We both know this.”

Jack leaned into the animal who lay on a fluffy grey bed on the floor near Ianto’s recliner.  “Now you shut up, you scraggly feline!  I know what I’m doing.”

“Do you, Harkness?”  Felix sat up in the bed, looking imposing.  “I love that man, you know!”

“I love him too!” The words fell from Jack’s mouth before he could stop them.  He would have retracted it, but the creature would have known he was lying.  Nevertheless, saying it aloud stunned Jack.  “I’d never hurt him”, he whispered.

Felix came closer to him then said, “I know you wouldn’t hurt him intentionally – that lovemaking from before was not something out of a Tinder fling.”  The cat’s face was less accusatory as he was feeling sorry for Jack all of a sudden.  “Listen, I know you care for him.  I know you have kept it to yourself for quite some time.  I know you will protect him with your life, if necessary.  But, I also know that your lifestyle, your world is what kills those who love you.  The longer he is with you, the higher the risk . . .”

“I know,” growled Jack.  “Do you think I like this?”  He clinched his lips and sneered, “I’ve tried, I really have.  But . . . he follows me and his . . . smell . . . is intoxicating.”

“He says the same thing about you.  Do you know he sniffs your coat at night before going home?”

“So that’s why he always ‘straightens my office’ before he leaves.”

Felix turned twice and curled back into his bed.  He sighed, “I suppose then there is nothing I can do.  You’re both hooked.  Just promise me, promise me you’ll be good to him . . . good to him until the end.”

“I promise nothing will happen to him.  I will protect him, I said!”

“Jack Harkness,” the cat sighed again and closed his eyes, “I know you will protect him whatever way you can.  But Ianto Jones will die on your watch . . . it is the fate of everyone who tangles with you.  I just want you make sure Ianto knows until the end that you love him and will not forget him as you have the others.”

“What?  I have forgotten none of them.  Each one is like a deep scar on my heart!” groaned Jack.  “What do you know, you . . ,” but Ianto returned with a tray of tea and small white pastries.

“Are you two talking?  It would be nice if you got along,” said Ianto as he set the tray on the coffee table. “I mean, if you come by sometime again.”

Jack reached up and grabbed Ianto’s hand, palm-side up.  He looked deep into Ianto’s eyes before he kissed the sensitive skin at the pulse point.  “Ianto Jones, I plan to come here often.”  Jack waited for the image to reach Ianto’s cerebral cortex and for the shiver to roll down the man’s arm.  He waited a few heartbeats more to let sexual images float in the young man’s mind like an erotic dream on acid.  “However, right now, let’s have tea and some of these delightful treats.”  Now Ianto blushed then shook a little while serving Jack.

Jack noted how Felix shook his head like a strict schoolteacher.  He also knew that the disapproval pointed to Jack’s overreliance on sex and sexuality.  “Why do you serve me?  You’re a Dom by nature.  If anything I should be serving you.”  In the back of his mind, Jack wondered if he had anything to offer this man whose eyes betrayed his deepest feelings.  There was sexual curiosity along with care so intense, it stunned Jack and he wondered what he did to deserve it.

Ianto finished serving them both and returned to his recliner opposite Jack before answering.  “I’ve never thought of myself in such terms, but your suppositions have some merit.  However, there is much power in submission.  Someone once told me that it is the sub who controls the relationship.  By serving you, I make you dependent on me – ‘need’ has a strong allure and service can be very intimate.”

“Sounds like an advert for Downton Abbey!” Jack teased.  It reminded him of something Angelo would say –a statement that was erotic and sensible at the same time.  They both fell silent and found themselves awkwardly staring inside their cups, unable to determine next steps. 

Ianto summoned up the bravery to speak first, “Jack?”

“Yes?”

“Let’s take the tea into the bedroom.”

Jack smiled sheepishly then replied, “Yes, that sounds like a good idea, Ianto Jones.”

They brought their nervousness with them.  They sat next to each other in the bed, as if locking eyes would cause the next tear in the rift.  Instead both studed the saltwater fish tank across the room.  Jack couldn’t help but think of how that was just so Ianto – every imaginable gadget and formula to have a colony of aquatic life swim one way and back again like a meme.  And for some reason, this made Jack smile for he found the idea of it “How do you British say it, ‘brilliant’?”

“I have no idea what you are talking about.  I’m Welsh.” 

Jack looked at him queerly which led both of them to break out in laughter and made moving forward less daunting.  Ianto kissed Jack tentatively at the corner of his mouth, almost like what your Nana gave you when the family came for holiday.  But for Jack it was searing like a steak touching a hot cast iron pan.  Jack closed his eyes and let go, releasing all his fears about the future and the guilt from the past.  Jack turned his body toward him, cupped Ianto’s face and pushed his tongue inside the other man’s mouth.  He was rewarded with a deep satisfying groan. 

Suddenly, Ianto pulled back.  He looked at Jack then said, “Be gentle with me.”

Jack offered one of his famous sidelong glances.  “Are you kidding me?” he said as Ianto got up to straddle Jack’s legs.  “I’m afraid I’m the prey here!”

Ianto removed Jack’s undershirt.  He returned to slowly caressing Jack’s chest.  He liked the goosebumps this was creating.  Jack’s skin felt alive, like each cell was a cornel of popcorn and Ianto’s hand was the heating element – pop, pop, pop.  When he raised his pointer finger and traced Jack’s lips, Jack let it happen, breathing deeper to control his growing arousal.  “Amazing,” slipped from Ianto’s mouth.  Ianto took Jack’s wrists and crossed them over his head.  He pressed them firmly against the wall, and instructed, “Keep them here.”   

Ianto had that strict schoolteacher voice down.  The baritone flair made Jack grin but held back as such was an inappropriate reaction in such circumstances – just plain bad form.  “Yes, . . . sir?”

“Yes is enough,” Ianto confirmed.  But now what?   Ianto had never gotten much farther than this in his fantasies.  Usually, he’d blown his load by this point.  At least once a day, especially during the work week, he had to wank off about Jack  – preferably in the shower before dressing for work (to get him through the day otherwise he’d spend all the day trying to hide his erratic erection) and before bed (Ianto did this on the couch; he didn’t know why).  Then he had an idea.  He bounced up, finished removing his clothes then said, “Get up.  Finish undressing and get up.”  He moved frantically and didn’t know why Jack didn’t understand the urgency of the moment.  Then Ianto realized that Jack was staring at him; no, Jack was admiring him or, more accurately, admiring Ianto’s body.  It was as if Jack saw something that Ianto couldn’t.  No one looked at me with desire before, not even . . . what’s her name? was inside Ianto’s thought bubble.  He realized then that he’d reflectively grabbed his cock, stroking it distracted as if its pleasure in it all was superfluous. 

Jack noted Ianto’s hand slowly moving up and down his red beast.  He didn’t move his arms despite an ache to reach out and put that tasty lollipop in his mouth.  But Jack held back, determined to help this man walk through the door and explore who he was.  “Should I release my own wrists?”

“What?  Oh, right.”  He walked over and leaned in front of Jack, then acted like he was removing the binding.  Unfortunately, Ianto didn’t initially realize the disturbance he was causing Jack until he watched Jack’s eyes move back and forth as Ianto’s prick swung like a pendulum in front of the seated man’s nose.  “Oh, terribly sorry,” he said while quickly getting back off the bed and covering his jewels with his hands.

“Doms never apologize.  They only adjust direction.”  Jack got up to follow orders.  He discharged his clothes on the floor and while Ianto was diverted by that mess, Jack added, “You are beautiful, and I can’t wait for you to sink that rock hard pole in my ass.  But I think a high-back chair would work better this first time.”

Ianto grabbed a wayward towel from the bed then followed Jack back to the living room.  “What do you mean?”

Jack looked around and chose a dark brown chair near the window.  He started to sit when Ianto jolted forward and dropped the towel on the seat just before Jack’s ball sack hit the cushion.  “Are you sure this is such a good idea?”

“What?” asked Jack, his hands dramatizing his question. 

“I don’t think my neighbours need to see this,” Ianto replied.  He walked over to the picture frame window and lifted a switch.  “Several seniors are living across the street and I don’t want to be the cause of their demise,” Ianto added as the vertical blinds closed.

“Are you sure they wouldn’t be taking notes?”

Ianto shook his head then checked that the binds were secure.  “Get up,” he said in a slight growl.  

Jack sensed that the young man was no longer joking.  He stood up and watched Ianto take his place in the chair, leaning back a bit to push his waist forward.  He took a hold of his cock again, this time with mindfulness, as if it was a holy offering.  “Didn’t you say something about riding this?”

“Oh yes, that I did!

November 28, 2021 - PRESS RELEASE

 

From the desk of Rabbi Viscount Desmond MacInnes-Reese

Congregation Emanu-El – Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom

(DRAFT) This letter to the editor is in response to the Winter 2021 piece issue of Jewish Action “The View from Pew: Where Do We Go from Here?”

This article is a wonderful starting point for understanding the 2020 Pew Study of Judaism in America. It clearly identifies not only the population loss in the American Jewish world but begins to elucidate how these causes are different within the orthodox and progressive communities. Yet, it isn’t honest enough. We have to present and face some of the difficult questions and behaviours that exist throughout the tribe but also appreciate that some problems are unique to the particular denominations and thus need different answers. I strongly believe that if we approach this “crisis” directly, we can turn a problem into a catapult of religious expression not seen since the days of the rabbis.

Just as in the last studies over the for 40 years, there has been handwringing on the preverbal Jewish “left” and “right” when it comes to the 2020 Pew study. Each time, you hear “End is Near” for Jewishness in the US as youth  continue to abandon or simply ignore the faith community. I believe, as did Rabbi Lord Johnathan Sacks, z’l declared in one of his last presentations, that this is an opportunity to again reconstruct Judaism post the Shoah. 

However, the only way we will transition from a crisis to an opportunity is if we consider the similar and unique needs in progressive and orthodox communities (I am purposely avoiding the “secular Judaism” of most Israelis as well as our homeland’s rabid, power-hungry ultra-orthodox.  The additional factors vivid in those groups are better left for another time).  And we need not wait until anti-Semitism has disappeared, as many of our elders' caution. In the 21st century, we expect that anti-Semitism won’t go away anytime soon and its disappearance is not our responsibility but the responsibility of those who claim to be our allies. A few of us can stand guard – foundations and action groups who have been doing this for decades – while we straighten ourselves out. Frankly, it’s hard to fight yetzer hara, the evil inclination, outside while plagued by the one inside. Ask any abuse survivor.  

We need honest conversations within and across progressive and orthodox Jewish groups about how we are failing the current and future Jewish community. And we shouldn’t be afraid. I imagine these are some of the same discussions since the days of the rabbis. 

We are the only civilization that exists in a perpetual identity crisis. A proactive approach would mean both groups:

·                 Recognize one another as natural, historical tensions across people trying to manage the challenges of the world they live in now. This is particularly true for those living outside of Israel where Jews are a minority and sometimes a minority within a minority (Jews of Color or JoC, for example.

·                 Recognize one reading of the Torah isn’t better or worse than another. Our faith is based on argument, debate and no interpretation of a living document is truer than another. All understandings and conceptualizations have emotional traps and philosophical dead ends. Like Mordecai Menahem Kaplan insisted I believe each generation must reconstruct the text to answer the questions faced today in ways that are relatable to Jews who live in the present. The orthodox are certain and the progressive hate to admit they too believe Torah has only one truth and only the orthodox know it. 

·                 Recognize and visibly fight against the discrimination and abuse rampant in their midst, whether it’s the excessive costs of day schools or the sexual abuse within yeshivas. I will speak to the racism found amongst progressive Jews in a moment. Stories of sexual abuse of children and the horrendous treatment of women escaping domestic violence need open, honest investigations by civil authorities so we don’t follow the example of the Catholic church.  Anyone who uses a child for his or her own deviances should be shunned, not a woman in fear for her life escaping a violent marriage.

·                 Recognize that the losses from both camps have different causes and thus different solutions; once we address those, attacking the above will be easier because each group would come to the table from a position of strength instead of a position of fear.

·                 Recognize that expressions of Judaism always lead people back to the synagogue. Does that mean that the shul needs to be all things to all Jews? No, it just means that it needs to be the spot that the Jews in that area recognize as safe and sacred. It may be now where we go for formal occasions (conversion classes, bar/bat mitzvahs, weddings, etc) that are more often associated with families and elders. However, more couples are not having children and their needs may feel more comfortable celebrating life and contemplating Hashem in other environments.

·                 Can’t synagogues have affiliated groups, extension activities and groups “off-campus” that offer a different access point to Judaism? And if you don’t have the type of shul you need to feel the joy of Hashem’s presence, then build it – Chabad figured this out early on and has grown in members as a result.

To capture the hearts and souls of those Jews who have wandered away from the tribe, progressives and the orthodox also have some internal struggles, for example:

·                 The orthodox need to accept that not only is there too much to tempt youth away from observant living, but social media makes those things too easy to access. Like some communist satellite state circa 1970, you can only isolate people so far for so long before everyone becomes an enemy of the state for wanting a pair of jeans.  

·                 The orthodox have gotten too otherworldly. The Torah is a living thing given to us to help with the world we live in now. And the answers aren’t “let’s go back to the 15th century” – we can’t no matter how much we want to. And the problems/needs of the most Haredi of families are very different than anything imagined by the Baal Shem Tov.

·                 Progressive Jews have to decide if orthodoxy is the true Judaism that we “just don’t do anymore” or if Reform Jews who fully participate in shul are good Jews too. Progressive Judaism is Judaism.

·                 Progressive Judaism has to remember that not everyone wants to be a social justice warrior and there are other important, fundamental reasons people join a faith community. People have questions around hope, family, sadness, loss and other of life’s queries.  In community, we celebrate the best and comfort during the worst of life, by always being available when one’s life gets interesting. The line in the Wedding Song goes “For whenever two or more of you are gathered in His name-There is Love, there is Love.” (I know, a problematic reference considering its focus on non-feminist, cis-gendered unions but a cute song nevertheless).

·                 Racism has no place anywhere in Judaism but this is particularly onerous coming from folx who claim their liberalism like a badge of honour.  I don’t care how many social justice activities you have participated in during the last decade, if you ask a Black person who walks into your synagogue, “Excuse me but do you belong here?”, you are a racist.  Additionally, let’s be honest – as most people apply a hyper-capitalist, cost-benefit analysis to most decisions - Jews compete for souls with a Christianity that offers an easier historical and familial option for many POC. By the numbers, frankly, we should welcome anyone who is seriously willing to join a club that assures additional social distain.

In private, there are discussions amongst people of different backgrounds but who, by some happenstance, formed personal friendships. Those conversations need to be more public and louder. If we are the “Chosen people” then we need to pull up our trousers and accept the struggle like adults.  Let’s show the Christians and Muslims how to do it, eh?

Press Release

 Folx are always saying that if Angus really cared, he'd give all his money to the poor.  It wouldn't help.  The problem isn't just the lack of resources.

Shameless Advert - Link to Youtube Video

Enjoy 

Felix Tempts Jack Harkness - Part V: Something like Relief

 

This happens every time I try to mix

Decision making with one too many drinks

But ooh, if late night friends have consequences, cool, yeah

-          Side Effects, as sung by The Chainsmokers

They lay on the top of the bedsheets French kissing for quite some time.  Jack’s tongue in Ianto’s mouth set off sparkles all over the young man’s body, in places he didn’t know could get excited.  Ianto bit Jack’s lower lip, tugging at it and getting a low groan for his efforts.  Then Ianto went back to rubbing tongues, wrestling inside of Jack’s mouth like an Olympic event.  But kissing wasn’t enough.  Ianto wanted more but just couldn’t put his finger on what more looked like.  He pulled back a bit, enough to allow his left hand to run his fingers along Jack’s shoulders.  The older man’s skin was firm, everything fitting around muscle and bone.  The lack of curves was not strange but a wonder.  Ianto then ran his pointer finger around Jack’s pecks, occasionally stopping at a nipple, where he drew circles until it stood up like a beacon off Cardiff Bay.

Jack was right - Ianto did like to be on top, which Ianto found strange but terribly powerful.  It was like intimately touching this male’s body awakened something new inside Ianto.  When he was with Lisa, she usually took the lead, decided on what and how stuff would happen.  This was okay, as he loved her.  But in the back of his mind, each time they slept together, Ianto had to admit, he wanted to assert himself – ask, no demand, what he wanted.  And here was Jack Harkness, surprisingly relaxed into the bed, allowing Ianto to have free rein. 

“Stop thinking about it and just do what feels good,” Jack said to disrupt the other man’s drift into unanswerable questions.

Ianto mumbled, “It’s amazing.  Everything here feels good.”  He caught Jack’s eyes and got enough guts to ask, “Can I just . . . just touch you, for a while?”

Jack chuckled, “Sure, just don’t take long”.  Those fingers of yours feel fantastic and well, are quite welcomed.  “Lately it has been ‘wham-bam-thank you ma’am’.  It’s been a while since someone was . . ..”  Ianto cocked his head with a question about to escape his lips but Jack reached up and pulled the other man’s mouth to his for a quick hot kiss. 

But Ianto Jones was not deterred.  When they finally came up for air, he continued, “Really?  I thought you liked it that way.”

Jack had done a better job than he thought hiding his loneliness.  Ianto had no idea how much Jack had been holding back.  Jack did not want the handsome Welshman to drown in messiness.  The crap with Lisa not only bothered Jack in terms of how it endangered the entire planet but also how jealous he felt when he learned there was someone else in Ianto’s life, someone Ianto was willing to risk it all for.  And out of admiration for his brave loyalty and growing empathy as he watched Ianto’s face fall into despair as his hopes died that Jack realized that he was, again, in love.  “Even the biggest sluts like some genuine attention once in a while!”

“I suppose as I’ve never thought much on the subject.”  Ianto started to ask something else but Jack was in no mood for psychological probing.“Enough!” he commanded.  “Lesson one of male sex – fuck now, talk later, maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“There could be more fucking, eh?”  Jack smiled devilishly.  Ianto returned with a blush but his newfound freedom was suddenly empowering.  Ianto looked at Jack with questioning eyes as he moved his hand down Jack’s front, stopping before touching the naughty bits.  “Yes, Ianto Jones, I consent to you touching my cock. As a matter of fact, you can caress, tung, kiss, lick, or swallow my cock all you want for as long as you want tonight.”

Ianto abruptly sat up and grabbed a tablet from the side table.  He hit a few spaces and the room transformed.  The bedroom’s shades darkened and blocked all light from outside.  An alien moon scene replaced the plain white shades.  Next, small lights twinkled in the ceiling, just below the moulding and mimicking a clear night at the beach.  The playlist changed too – modern blues and jazz now.  “This okay?” Ianto asked when he returned to Jack.

“Oh my, do you masturbate to this?”

“I beg your pardon?”

Jack chuckled, “Because it is so YOU.”  He realized that his companion wasn’t amused by the remark.  So, he put his hand on Ianto’s stomach and said, “I mean, I always wondered if this would be how you’d do it . . . if you were fantasizing about seducing me.”  Now it was time for Jack to blush.  “The only thing I got wrong was the curtains – nice touch.”  He smiled at Ianto, trying to convince him of his honesty.

Then Ianto sighed, “I had imagined it would be sweatier than this.”

Jack chuckled again then looked into the other man’s eyes.  He reached between them and touch Ianto’s dick.  Although they had been kissing and touching with their hands, everything had been above the waist.  Jack was ready and thought he’d better give his newbie some guidance otherwise it would be a wasted evening.  The dick was semi-hard and slightly slick in Jack’s hand.  He didn’t so much as rub as he examined it, his fingers touching at various pressure points.  Jack had learned this practice from a yogi who claimed he could make a woman cum by touching her on the back of the head. 

Ianto abruptly sucked in a breath.  “What the . . .?” was all he could articulate.  “My cock is on fire!”

“Mmm,” Jack whispered toward him, “well, I do have a way to quench those pesky flames.”

He would have said more but Ianto started sucking on Jack’s tongue.  The Time Agent nearly lost it then and shook for a moment, as if a shocked by a chill.   He did some cleansing breaths when Ianto finally gave up his tongue and started shimmying his mouth down to Ianto’s hips.  He grasped the base of the young man’s dick firmly.  The red, now engorged hood, poked up several inches and offered a menacing shudder.  “Oh granddaddy, look how big you are!” Jack crooned before swallowing half of it into his mouth. 

Ianto had never felt something so intense, and he feared he cum too soon.  And there was at least one more thing he wanted to do before the night was over.  He tried to control his breathing as Jack expertly licked, tugged, and sucked on the head.  “Oh, g-d Jack!  This is amazing.  Is it always this fucking hot?”

That last question caught in Jack’s throat, making him pause for a moment.  He had to stop himself from promising that it would always be this way and that he’d then spend the rest of Ianto’s life, until the moment he died making him feel this good.  Jack wanted to make all sorts of promises that he knew he’d never fulfill. It was more likely Ianto would get killed as a result of being with Jack than the second statue on a wedding cake.  Jack talked himself back and away from that strain of thought.  Please him now, concentrate on pleasing him now, idiot! he kept saying to himself.

Ianto’s loud plea for release returned Jack to the matter at hand.  “Jack, please, it’s too much!”  Jack decided to let him come now as he was still young and likely to bounce back quickly.  Jack certainly hoped so as he felt his asshole pucker and ache.  “Jack!”

The more experienced man increased his speed and suction.  Ianto’s body became stiff then quivered uncontrollably as his cum shot violently into the back of Jack’s throat.  Just before unloading, Ianto grabbed Jack’s hair, bucked his hips and pushed Jack’s head down until it was past Jack’s tonsils.  Jack had to relax his jaw to make room for the other man’s girth and the waterfall of sperm slammed against the back of Jack’s throat. 

When Jack finally pulled off Ianto’s cock and looked up at him, Ianto’s face dripped with bliss.  “And yes, I know you’re wondering if Lisa would suck me off,” he remarked.  “She did but never with such expertise.”  Ianto was breathing heavy like he’d just ended a marathon.  He reached down and instinctively pulled his partner into an embrace.  Amidst his shivering and lightheadedness, Ianto found contentment he’d never experienced, although his dick was already prepping for round two. 

Jack rested his head on Ianto’s chest, feeling ever so empowered.  He liked that he was the one who put that happy look on Ianto’s face.  He knew he needed to take things slow though, not rush through the night.  He saw Felix trot past the bedroom door, trying to act as if he was casually passing by instead of ensuring his master was okay.

Felix sneered quietly and Jack felt judged but reminded himself that he had a reputation.  Jack Harkness was a dangerous man but wanted sincerely for that danger to never touch a hair on this man’s head.  Fuck, fuck, fuck, he said to himself.  “I’m doing it again!”

“Huh?” asked a somewhat sleepy Ianto Jones.

Jack realized he’d let that last bit out.  “Isn’t that Humphrey Bogart special on TCM International tonight?”

“How did you know that?” asked Ianto.  “How did you know I liked classic Hollywood movies?”

Jack sat up and looked down at the handsome man.  “I make it my business to know everything about my employees!”

TORCHWOOD: Felix Tempts Jack Part IV

 

Part IV – All In

I once kneeled in shaking thrill

I chase the memory of it still, of every chill

Chided by that silence in a hush sublime

Blind to the purpose of a heart divine

But you and I

Staring in the blackness at some distant star

The thrill of knowing how alone we are, unknown we are

To the world and to the both of us

I confessed along and I was dreaming of

 

Some better love, but there's no better love

Beckons above me and there's no better love

Whatever has loved me, there's no better love

Darling, feel better love

Feel better love

-                      Better Love, as sung by Hoizer

“Felix!  Bad kitty!” The pet shook his head and went to lay on his bed by the heater in the living room.  But he glared at Jack with daggers, sneering a warning.  Ianto shook his head and gathered the dishes on the tray.  He added, “Right, c’mon now!  Jack saved your life too – let me take you home.  Let’s show just a bit of gratitude”.  Felix ground and turned his back on Jack.   “That’s a good kitty!” replied Ianto, who gave the feline some pets before taking the tray it to the kitchen.  He washed them out and put them in a waiting dishwasher.  Wiping his hands on a towel, Ianto returned to the living room.  Jack was downing another scotch when Ianto asked nonchalantly, “Right, so how do we start this?”  He tossed the towel on the table like a kid posing in front of the popular girl in class.  “Do we do this here or on the couch?”

Jack chuckled at the young man’s sudden assertiveness.  “Where would you like to be?  You’re in charge here.”  Ianto looked at him incredulously.  Jack smiled at him.  How was he going to help him see what was inside, just below the surface?  He wanted to unleash the untrained Dom he knew was inside Ianto, give it a way to bloom, and see where it led.  Plus, as the stir in his pants pointed to, Jack really wanted to see and taste what was beneath the suit.  “It is your flat after all.”

“You’re not making this easier, you know.”

“My apologies,” Jack stood up.  With the dining room table between them, he continued, “Let’s start from the beginning.”  Jack put his hands behind his back so Ianto wouldn’t see their shaking.  He’s right there, I could just reach for him, pull him in my arms, and . . . and . . . Jack’s thoughts trailed off as his dick quivered again.

Ianto cocked his head.  “You okay?”

This brought Jack back to reality and the task at hand.  “What do you like to do, I mean to start things off.”

“With a girl?”

“You’ve got a point.”  Jack paused and thought for a moment.  “Don’t you have gay friends?”

Ianto sat down, taking a chair that was nearer to Jack.  “Sure, in uni and at Torchwood One, the guy I worked with in the library . . . why?”  And why is my body betraying me, drawing me close to him?

“Guys do it opposite from girls.  Guys fuck first and fall in love later.  They meet up, size up, and quickly decide what’s going where on whom.  Simple and to the point.  It’s one of the reasons straight guys hate gay guys is that a straight guy has to at least buy a gal a McDonald’s Happy Meal if he hopes to spread her legs.”

“Right, that explains why you asked me what I wanted?”  Ianto thought, what do I want?  “Sounds so clinical.”

Jack shrugged.  “It can be but it doesn’t have to.”  He looked kindly at those pretty eyes.  “You think about me, Ianto?”

“Yes.”  That came out faster and more definitive than Ianto wanted to reveal. 

Jack got up and walked up to the seated man and whispered in his ear.  “When you think about me, what do you see?  Am I touching you or are you touching me?  What do you see me doing?  What do you want me to do?”

Ianto blushed and swallowed hard.  “Lots of kissing,” he whispered back with a voice that more like heavy breathing, longing starting to wash over him.  Now it was his dick that was becoming inflamed.

“Tongue?”

“Oh yes.”

“And what did you want to do?”

“Keep feeling that your body . . . body heat.  And that smell, to inhale your smell.”  Ianto stood up.  They faced one another like two cowboys squaring off.  Ianto’s hands started shaking now but this was a result of stopping himself from grabbing Jack by his shoulders and forcing him to his knees.

Where was this coming from?

“And that sound, I want to hear that sound.”

“What sound?”

Ianto swallowed hard and was barely able to get the words out.

It was going to all sound so dirty, he thought to himself.  He looked at his feet.  “Do you remember that time when you brought the barista back to the Hub?”

“That cute redhead from Starbucks?  Don’t tell me you watched us screwing!  I didn’t know you were even there, you sneaky boy!”

“I didn’t watch.  I have a moral compass.  But I couldn’t help but hear.  You were rather loud.”

“She was sweet, so sweet,” Jack remembered.  “Curious, what did I sound like that night?”

Ianto looked at his feet.  “You sounded . . . you sounded like how my workmate described it.  He said the feeling of being full, the strokes against the prostate filled you with gratitude.  He said if the anal was done right, you moaned like a three-year-old with their first taste of ice cream.  I heard that from you.  I couldn’t imagine what she did to you to get that sound but . . . “

“Ah, well, she’s transgender.  Magnificent cock and what an acrobat!  No wonder I was . . . making that sound.”

“I’d want to be the one who makes you make that sound.”

There it was, Ianto finally admitted at least his sexual feelings toward Jack.  It ran deeper; Ianto knew that but that was a step too far, at least for now.

For Jack’s part, he found himself feeling light-headed and couldn’t tell if it was the scotch or his ever-increasing hunger to feel this man’s skin, all of it.  He took Ianto’s hand.  If this was going to work, if Jack was going to give this man what he deserved, Ianto would have to take it.  Jack rolled his fingers around Ianto’s indicated consent.  “Why don’t we get in bed and kiss Ianto Jones?”

Ianto grinned sheepishly and escorted Jack to the bedroom.  “Spotify – Jazz playlist #6,” Ianto called out.  Charlie Parker blew his horn like he was giving it a massage.  Jack was impressed.  He knew Birdman well and wished he could use the TARDIS to take Ianto to see him live.  This was a side of Ianto that he didn’t know, and he wanted to know it.  And that last part was quite frightening.  To distract from the fear just below his throat,ack looked over and watched Ianto unbutton his shirt, back turned.  When he got to the jeans, Jack turned away, afraid he’d blow his load before things really heated up.

Ianto felt the same and faced away until he had his libido under control.  By the time Ianto turned around, he made up his mind to kiss Jack but once he gazed upon the other man’s nakedness his knees weakened.  “You’re stunning.”

Jack was truly moved.  He could taste the sincerity.  No one had talked to him with such affection, not since . . .,  “Thank you.”

Ianto came around the bed to touch Jack’s chest.  He had scars and one day Ianto would learn the stories surrounding them.  But right now, Ianto was loving the feel of Jack’s skin on his fingertips.  Each spot he touched left goose-pimples and Ianto liked being the one causing that.  Jack leaned close and Ianto kissed him, tentatively at first but once Jack offered his tongue, it was off to the races.

Before they fell onto the bed, Ianto wondered why he hadn’t done this sooner.

TORCHWOOD FANFICTION: Felix Tempts Jack Part III

 

Part III – Trepidation + Loneliness = a leap of faith

You remind me I live in a shell

Safe from the past and doin' okay but not very well

No jolts, no surprises, no crisis arises

My life goes along as it should

It's all very nice, but not very good

And I'm ready to take a chance again

Ready to put my love on the line with you

Been livin' with nothing to show for it

You get what you get when you go for it

And I'm ready to take a chance again with you

-          Ready to Take a Chance Again, as sung by Barry Manilow

Ianto’s flat was exactly as Jack had imagined, or is the word dreamed.  Slightly winding slightly dingy white walls and badly carpeted steps abruptly led to an immaculately painted door that opened to the smell of hardwood floors and sandalwood.  It was a nerd boy’s Shangri-La.  It was open-spaced, living room to the right and dining room to the near left.

“I’ll take your coat,” Ianto said as he showed Jack a felt-covered hanger.  “You can leave your shoes on the mat.”  Jack nodded – just like Ianto. 

The furniture was comfortable but spare – a three-person beige couch and two matching lounge chairs.  The book Ianto was reading before this misadventure started lay on a cedar coffee table, a green bookmark neatly poking out like a lonely dick at a 6th-grade dance party.  Once Jack had his shoes off he walked towards the dining room table wrapped against the nearby wall.  The table was heavy, tinted glass that matched the cabinet cut out which served as a wet bar.  Jack stopped at the bottle of Laphroaig.  It always fascinated Jack how the crew spent their enormous Torchwood salary.  Gwen and Reese were “saving for that dream house”; Tosh supported various family members; for Suzie, it was designer clothes and shoes; while Owen had every medical gadget known to man.  And now Ianto – creating a persona of an English gentleman.  He would correct me and say he was a Welsh gentleman.  “Sorry,” Jack said looking at the Glenlivet, “I didn’t know you were such a connoisseur.”

“Ah, yeah,” Ianto replied.  “I think we’ve both had enough to drink.  How about I put the kettle on?”

Jack chuckled, “Sure!  And a bit of seltzer, please? I’d hate to vomit all over your nice furniture!”  Ianto scurried into the kitchen, pushing aside the swinging wooden half doors.  Jack smiled watching the young man move which reminded him that he always liked how blue jeans made asses look yummy.  “Can we sit at the table?” he called out to Ianto.

“Sure,” Ianto said tentatively.  As he retrieved two cups from his white cabinets, Ianto wondered, in a slightly drunken haze, Is this how he seduces people?  Sitting at the table drinking British tea?  “Do you . . .?”  He stopped himself as he was a dutiful manservant and already knew what Jack liked in his tea – black with a bit of honey, just like his heart.  The kettle’s whistle brought him out of a haze and he was reoriented to the task at hand.  He prepared the tea on a tray then thought to add a snack and added a plate of brie and crackers.  When he came out, Jack was sitting at the table and had already started on his scotch. 

“I never drink tea alone,” Jack grinned.  “Please,” he pointed to the seat across from him, “We should talk . . . need to negotiate terms, consent if you will.”

Ianto sat down as instructed.  “I see you don’t dally . . . come right out with it.”  It wasn’t like he hadn’t anticipated this . . . that things would go here.  And his loneliness and nearly uncontrollable intrigue with Captain Jack Harkness led him to conclude that deep down he wanted to have sex with this man . . . right now, right here, ah shit.  “Since sleeping with you is a fait accompli,” he said with a firm tone he wasn’t certain was his voice, “I want to make something clear.”  He took a sip and straightened his back, “I am not experienced, by anyone’s measure.  More importantly, I’ve never . . . never slept with a man.”

“It’s not much difference,” Jack dismissed, taking a large gulp of the hot liquid.  “Lots of kissing . . . lots and lots of kissing . . . I like that part . . . like it a lot.  Did I ever tell you about that Alturnian I made out with that one time when I was doing an investigation in Inverness?  Nearly froze the top of my dick but what a lovely . . .”

“Yes sir,” Ianto interrupted, “your prowess is known throughout the galaxies.”

Jack stopped smiling and gave him an irritated look.  “Ianto, when are going to stop calling me ‘sir’ when you know your status in this relationship?  I mean really?” Jack took another sip, of the scotch this time.  He needed liquid courage if he was going to get this outright, “where some people are control freaks, you’re an aficionado.  You are no sub, baby.”

Ianto’s face was flush and hot, but he pushed on.  “What does that mean?  I am talking about . . . being present for you . . . I don’t know how to . . . ah, how to . . . how to pleasure you.” 

Ianto’s blush returned Jack’s smile which made Ianto shift in his seat.  “What do you want to do?”

Ianto thought for a moment.  “Watch you cum.”

It was Jack’s turn to blush.  “Brazen hussy!  Who knew that inside that suit was a heathen in training!”  They both laughed and when that died down everything got uncomfortable again.  The inside of an empty teacup was never so interesting.  Jack’s voice was a whisper, “Ianto, I’d never hurt you, sexually or otherwise.” 

“You damn right you won’t, Jack Harkness!” came Felix’s voice seemingly from out of nowhere.  Ianto wasn’t certain if his pet had just saved him from the worst mistake of his life or if this moment was part of some inescapable destiny.

Ianto Jones decided all this psychobabble rat wheel thinking wasn’t getting him laid.

TORCHWOOD: Felix Tempts Jack - Part II

 

Surprise, Surprise

You can build a mansion, but you just can't live in it

You're the fastest runner but you're not allowed to win

Some break the rules, and let you count the cost

The insecurity is the thing that won't get lost

-         No One is to Blame, by Howard Jones

Ianto emerged from his flat. He was excited and apprehensive at the same time, walking quickly and with some determination down the small street. The pub wasn’t far from his flat, but the harsh breeze and misty rain made him move a bit faster. Inside the pub were a fair number of Friday night post-workday folks. They had a few hours of drinking on him. He found an elevated two-top table that also offered a nice view of the street. Thus, he could evaluate folx who came in, note their appearance and thus whether or not he would strike up a conversation.  Who am I fooling? he thought to himself. A perky red-haired waitress came to the table and took his order – one shot of scotch and a pint along with a bag of crisps. If he wasn’t chatting up some cutie by the end of his first, no second pint, he’d go home, Ianto promised himself. He didn’t want to get so drunk that he would perform badly or forget what happened.

When the waitress brought over his drinks, she smiled broadly.  “Haven’t seen you here before”! she flirted.

Ah yes, a chance to practice! he thought. “I live around the corner. I saw this place about a week ago when I was walking my . . . dog.” He handed her a few bills then added, “Keep the change.”

She saw the denomination and her eyes lit up. “Wow, thanks!” She leaned in and whispered in his ear, “Most folx around here are soooo cheap!” She smelled like sweet lilac and eagerness. “I’ll be right back with your crisps. You get a free bag with your order before 7.”  Never mind that it was already 7:23 pm. As he watched her walk back to the bar, he along with several other men (and two ladies as well) watched as her ass cheeks seemed to know it was showtime. 

Ah, competition! Ianto looked around more.  The pub was extra modern, with hanging plants dotting the window by his seat. The hardwood floor was clearly new and a bit slippery due to the excess waxing. The tall wood tables and booths were non-descript and the hanging pictures were stills of Cardiff scenery. The crowd was switching now with the just-off-work folx, were likely stumbling to the tube station two blocks away, the less inebriated supporting the bladdered.  That was fine for Ianto. That wasn’t his crowd.  But what is my crowd? Maybe I should be looking for friends instead of a one-night shag?

The waitress sauntered back, hips moving like they were pushing something out of the way.  Ianto noted that she was big breasted and petite. He like short, stocky girls – at least he thought he did. She dropped two bags of crisps on his table. “I hope you like these. This crowd has eaten us out of house and home tonight!” She locked eyes with him then added, “My name is Sandra, my friends call me Sandi.”

He blushed but responded immediately. “I’m Ianto, Ianto Jones.”  He thought to extend his hand but realized she had a tray in her hand.

Sandi looked to see if anyone was watching, then whispered, “I get off in an hour, if you’d like to chat a bit.”

Ianto couldn’t believe his luck – success on the first try.  The stars must be aligned, he thought. “I had planned to stay for at least another drink after this,” he looked at his watch then added, “And it is almost 8 . . .”

Sandi started to reply when a familiar figure dropped seemingly from space and interrupted with, “Ow, terribly sorry sweetie but he’s with me this evening!”  Jack Harkness offered one of his signature grins and asked, “But, if you play your cards right,” Jack put his arm around her waist and tugged, “you could make it a party of three.”

Sandi looked at him horrified at the proposition, “Ah sorry, but I didn’t know he was taken.” She gave Ianto a dirty look. “I take my men in singles.” She turned on her heel and walked back to the bar.

“You don’t know what you are missing!” Jack hollered back at her loud enough that a few patrons turned to look. Jack shrugged.

Ianto’s cheeks were flush and his mood shifted to irritation. “Really? I live around here you know!”

“Ah, afraid you’ll get a reputation?”

“Seriously?” Ianto sighed then downed his scotch. The last thing he needed tonight was work, “What’s up Jack? Has something come through the rift? You could have just phoned or texted my mobile. I thought you wanted me to take some time off – the salary budget line item and wanting to be more fiscally responsible I believe were your words.”

Jack took off his signature coat and tossed it on a ledge against the window. “Not work, not this time.” Suddenly, Jack realized he’d made it all the way here without a back story to explain his presence. “Listen Ianto, I am tired of the acrimony between us. I figured we could hash things out over a pint or two. Whaddya say?”

Ianto was trying to recover from Jack’s scent. Unlike Sandi, Ianto didn’t have the words to describe that alluring smell of the man that wasn’t like any other human he knew. It drew you in and stirred the groin. Ianto shifted in his stool then sighed again. “Sure. I guess this evening can’t get any weirder.”

Jack turned to wave to one of the waiters. A tall blond came over and took his drink order – a triple shot of vodka and a water. “Don’t want to drink too much. You could take advantage of my good nature.” Teasing Ianto was a habit he found terribly enjoyable and something that he’d engage in frequently before the whole Lisa thing.  Jack was falling back in quickly and this mad him a bit uneasy. He had a million reasons to leave this alone including the fact that Ianto was inexperienced, exposed, and Jack was an asshole who could only offer this fine human being a good fuck.  Jack had dated, hell even married, too many partners with the same fresh face and loyal heart. He just couldn’t take hurting another one particularly someone so sincere as Ianto Jones.  And yet, as in the past he was drawn to people with warm souls and fascinating vulnerabilities.  Thus, he couldn’t be mad at Ianto too long – never had, even when he pestered Jack into hiring him. He wondered how much of that was desperation to save his girlfriend and how much of it was . . . something different.  Jack tried to distract his mind from how nice the young man looked in his blue dress shirt and jeans but only then found himself envisioning Ianto naked and sweaty with . . .. The waiter returned with Jack’s drink order and Jack downed the vodka in a quick slurp.

“If you knock ‘em back like that, you’ll be drunk sooner than later. You won’t be able to drive the SUV back to the Hub.” Not that drink mattered as Jack was one of the most reckless drivers Ianto had ever seen. Ianto rubbed his cheeks, hoping to get the visible signs of fluster off his face.

Jack sat up and wondered to himself, What am I doing here and now that I’m here, what do I want to happen? Suddenly it was Jack who felt awkward. “Did I ever tell you about the time I was chasing a couple of renegade Oberhaberman’s?  Nasty creatures, with long, blue talons and horrible bad breath. That last part came from their regular consumption of what we call concrete.” His story relaxed them by taking the pressure off deciding why they were there - together.  Ianto liked Jack’s fantastical tales. They always had interesting characters from history or other worlds, places beyond where Ianto thought he’d ever see. It was like listening to someone tell a myth, but Ianto knew it was all real . . . well, likely everything but all of Jack’s heroics. Nevertheless, the young man found himself envisioning travelling the universe with this wilding, saving Earth, hell even the galaxy between bouts of . . . Ianto found himself wondering again how two men have sex.

A few hours went by and Ianto was up to four shots and feeling a bit giddy. Jack noticed the slight changes and wondered again if it was fair to entangle Ianto in the mess of Jack’s life. But Jack Harkness was not one to be distracted by some silly guilt trip. He watched Ianto’s hands as he shifted them on then off the table, representing the excitement he was feeling. At one point, their hands nearly touched, the sharp spark as if they’d just rolled in carpet. Ianto and Jack fell silent for a few moments, both looking out the window lost in their anxiety. 

Abruptly Jack asked, “I actually have a bottle of Glenlivet in the SUV. “Why don’t we go to your flat and see how much of a dent we can make in it?” He said it like they were two blokes hanging out.

They both knew it was more than that.

Ianto was flustered and his face turned red again. Jack found it charming and smiled at him which made things worse for Ianto. “You’ve never been to my place before.”

Jack realized he had had dinner at everyone’s flat, even Owen’s. But he’d never inserted himself when it came to Ianto. He wasn’t sure what he’d do until now – he was about to do something foolish. “Well, there is a first time for everything! Don’t worry if your place isn’t tidy. You know how I keep my pod area.”

“Yes, I do,” chuckled Ianto, recalling how he’d tried cleaning it before only to find it in the same condition the very next morning. “No, it isn’t that. It’s just, is this really proper? I mean a boss coming to your house intending on intoxication. I’m sure Torchwood has HR rules around that.”

Jack stood up and grabbed his coat. “Do we ever play by the rules, Ianto Jones?” He started to put the long coat on and Ianto got dizzy. Jack looked so hot with that coat on. Ianto had masturbated many nights to the thought of rubbing it all over his body, Jack’s smell plastered against his skin . . .   Jack turned to go but realized that Ianto hadn’t moved. “Well? The bottle won’t drink itself! You live around the corner from here, right?”

Short Shot - Another short shot from my biographer

 A.G. is always wondering about Jack Harkness and Ianto Jones.  Ianto introduced me to this fabulous person about 12 years ago and I never regret posting her Torchwood fanfiction which explores the early relationship between the two men.  Enjoy this first chapter!

FELIX TEMPS JACK HARKNESS

Part I – Enticement

Even though the pain and heartache

Seems to follow me wherever I go

Though I try and try to hide my feelings

They always seem to show.

-         Never Can Say Good-Bye, Jackson 5

6:37 pm on a Friday night and Ianto Jones was restless and tired of trying to read Nicholas Sparks’ latest.  He sat in his PJs and robe like a kid waiting for his mom to read him a bedtime story.  He was even drinking a hot chocolate.  He looked around his flat from his leather recliner, his fuzzy slippers dangling from his socks.  It was a heavy autumn chill and the winds were particularly robust.  He had hoped his 90s rap playlist would but a bit of bounce in his mood but it wasn’t really working.  Maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad if it wasn’t for the fact that he’d been home all day – force PTO from Jack who blew up at Ianto’s last timesheet – 71 hours in one week. Jack was reestablishing his authority after one of his unexplained absences. “You’re blowing our salary line item, Ianto!  And this can’t be good for your health.  Go home and don’t come back until Monday.” Jack slammed the ledger closed. “Have some fun, visit friends – you do have some of them, don’t you?  Now, go and that’s an order!”  Jack had forgotten that all of Ianto’s friends died at Canary Warf.

Ianto took a sip from his mug only to discover he’d left it too long.  He started to head to the kitchen when his pet, Felix came up and rubbed up against his leg.  Ianto bent over and picked up the feline – well, Ianto thought Felix was kind of feline on his planet.  While on a mission shortly after the Lisa debacle, he and Owen chased some Morratians back through the rift.  This small creature was left behind, like a worm at the end of a hook likely used for bait or a midnight snack like a tub of Chunky Chocolate ice cream.  Felix’s kind were farm-raised food back home.  Ianto felt sorry for the creature and begged Jack to let him keep him, “kind of like the Pterodactyl,” Ianto rationalized. 

Jack, still angry with him, never answered but dismissed him abruptly. “And take that thing with you.  I don’t want to see it around the Hub.”

Felix, named after the 19th-century German composer, looked like a reddish tabby but his face was more humanoid looking than your local stray.  He was lean despite eating more than more feral pigs.  He picked up English rather quickly between Ianto talking to him and watching the tellie – Felix loved TV especially reality and cop shows,.  Ianto had to adjust his remote so Felix could paw and speak his show or movie requests, thus allowing the creature to watch when Ianto wasn’t home.  But when he was around, Felix was attentive and loving.

The creature was hypersensitive to Ianto’s moods and always came along with good advice or a curl up on the couch.  Felix jumped on Ianto’s lab, using his head to butt against Ianto’s hand in that way cats do when they want pets.  “You’re lonely for human company?”

“Something like that,” Ianto sighed.  He put his book on the dark wood side table and fully applied his attention to petting the creature.  “I probably just need to get laid.”

“That may not be a bad idea – something to take your mind off of things.”

“Yeah,” Ianto said, daydreaming of soft kisses and firm caresses.  Ianto closed his eyes but the face that came was Jack’s.  This shouldn’t have startled him like that, particularly since he had sexual fantasies about Jack in the past.  Ianto sighed again as that relationship was a dead end just like the one with Lisa.

“You’re thinking of Jack again,” asked Felix with little in the way of judgement in his tone.  Ianto’s pet did not trust Jack, sensed the man had a darker side that Felix’s Ianto could be burnt by.  But Felix had also sensed the attraction from the start but had hoped Jack would leave Ianto alone.  Felix was fiercely loyal and realized that not only had Ianto saved his life, but the human genuinely cared about him.  It was hard for a “kitten” to find love on an industrial farm.  Felix didn’t know what his mum looked like let alone who was his father.  But here on Earth in Ianto’s home, full of cosy seating and plenty of food, Felix had found heaven and he would be forever grateful.  “Why don’t you call him?  I’m sure he’s never turned down a snog.”

“Right, even if he was interested, I have no idea of how to even start sex with a man.  Shit, I’ve barely been with women at this point!”

“I’m sure the good captain has enough knowledge for an intergalactic library!”  Felix nuzzled Ianto’s face and cheek.  “Okay, but you’re getting nowhere sitting in this house.  Go out!  What about that new pub around the corner we passed the other day.”  Ianto regularly walked Felix.  Folx audaciously stared at the oddity that was his feline, but he didn’t care.  And Felix liked looking up ladies’ skirts.  “Take a shower, put on something other than a suit, grab your umbrella and go.”

“By myself?”

“Have dinner, watch the scene, and flirt – if you don’t practice, you lose your touch,” said Felix before he scratched behind his ear.  “At least that is what the Housewives always advise the lonely single gals.”

Although advice from a silly show on the tellie was annoying, Ianto had to admit Felix was right.  “There were a couple of cute waitresses there.  No harm in seeing if anyone is interested in a quick shag, now is there?” “I reckon I can read anywhere,” Ianto got up.  “Thanks, Felix!”  Ianto went to the bedroom to shower and dress. 

It took Ianto some time to find something other than a suit.  He eventually settled on a buccaneer’s white shirt and light blue jeans.  Felix gave him the thumbs up and Ianto got on a coat then headed out.  Felix gave it 5 minutes, to make sure Ianto wasn’t coming back, then dialled the landline.

The fact that he could and did it now was the only deception between man and pet.  Felix didn’t like the call either but considered the truth that his master was actively trying to ignore.  When the person on the other line answered, Felix started with a threat, “If you hurt him, . . .”.