madbottoms | Opportunities/One door closes...and a window opens (23/24)

Title: Opportunities/One door closes...and a window opens (23/24)
Rating: PG

Genre: AU! No aliens but some familiar names may still be used

Characters: Jack, Ianto, Estelle, Tosh

Summary: The holiday season is coming up and Ianto Jones is stuck without a job, with very little money and not too many prospects. So when he is offered a job for two weeks, he readily accepts. But this new job may become complicated when he realises that the man who broke his heart years before is the grandson of his new employer.

A/N: Second last chapter - *is sad* Jack comes to Ianto’s graduation and is going to get Ianto to listen whether he wants to or not. Thanks to Blackcat1000 again.

Also, a big shout out to all those who commented on the banners/artwork I did for A Time of Rest by miladydragon. If you haven’t read it, what are you waiting for?!

*~*

Chapter Twenty Three

His hand stilled on Jack’s arm.

‘Congratulations,’ he said.

Ianto nodded. It was the only thanks he could manage because he was so surprised he couldn’t have forced a word out.

Though he was off the stairs and once more on solid ground, the grass seemed to almost sink under his weight, and Ianto was afraid to trust his feet. As if Jack had read his mind, he pulled Ianto’s arm closer to him, trapping his hand and drawing him away from the stage.

Ianto looked around. He hadn’t actually invited Estelle, but wondered if she was floating around somewhere. ‘Is Estelle here?’ His voice was no more than a whisper when he was finally able to speak.

Jack shook his head. ‘Since you didn’t invite her officially, she couldn’t get a seat—and she didn’t think she could stand through the whole ceremony.’

‘Well, I thought she’d be bored with all the nonsense at the beginning. It’s no big deal but it was nice of you to come as her delegate.’ Ianto didn’t really think he was here because he wanted to be. He’d made it quite clear that he was done with him.

‘Would you like some refreshments?’ Jack asked.

‘No—I’m not staying for the reception.’

‘Because you have so much to do?’ Jack’s voice was light and conversational.

As if he cares. ‘Yes, I thought I’d take the rest of the day off to do some serious relaxing before I get down to the task of finding a job so I can pay Estelle back for her outrageously generous gift.’

‘Then my timing is perfect. But you know Gran would be extremely offended. It was a gift and you should just accept it graciously.’ Suddenly he sounded serious. ‘Ianto, I want... I need to talk to you.’

‘Oh, I think enough was said at Christmas, Jack. So, thanks for coming. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I better go say hello to Tosh so she can get back to work. I wouldn’t want her to get in trouble with her boss.’

‘I gave her the afternoon off, Ianto. So she could come support you. I’m not a complete ogre.’

‘That was very nice of you. It was good to see you,’ Ianto said flatly and removed the mortar board from his head and ran his hand through his hair. ‘Say hi to Estelle for me and tell her I’ll call her soon.’ And don’t send me a Christmas card; if I want to know what’s going on with you I’ll read about it in the business magazines or maybe ask Tosh.

‘Ianto.’ Jack’s voice was quiet. ‘I’m going to say what I came here to tell you. You can stand here and listen to me, or you can walk away and I’ll follow you and shout as loud as I have to, to make sure you hear. So, it’s up to you, really. Do you want to keep this between us, or everyone else here?’

That would make a nice scene for the crowd—on the stage the university president reading of the last of the graduates’ names, while mere feet away Jack boomed out what? More accusations? More hurtful truths?

A crowd had gathered around the refreshment table, and newcomers from the stage sidestepped Jack and Ianto to head in that direction. Off to one side of the area lay an almost deserted path, and Ianto moved toward it. ‘Why right now?’ he said wearily. ‘It’s been months, Jack. Why did you have to ruin my graduation day?’

‘I didn’t intend to ruin it. I came to tell you I was sorry.’

‘Sorry for what?’

‘Sorry about a lot of things, Ianto. I’m sorry for the way I acted on Christmas day. I’m sorry for accusing you of being emotionally unstable, and I’m sorry I didn’t come to see you sooner.’

Ianto should really be apologising, too, but he was still suspicious even after six long years of what Jack’s motives may be. He couldn’t help it. There were still some issues he was working through. Maybe he was a bit emotionally unstable but he had come to accept that was the way he was.

‘I was too angry after Christmas. Angry at you for pushing everyone away. For pushing me away.’ He paused. ‘You wouldn’t let me in.’

‘Don’t make this out to be my fault, Jack.’

‘I’m not. I will take responsibility where it’s due. If I hadn’t been such a prick to you—’

Ianto could think of several words which fit the situation—for himself, too.

‘I hurt you,’ Jack said quietly. ‘But you hurt me, too.’

‘I’m sorry. I’m not proud of how I acted either,’ Ianto admitted. ‘I didn’t make things very easy on you. But why now? Why did you wait until now to come back and talk to me?’

Jack looked down at his shoes and drew an invisible line on the path. ‘I guess I was a little scared to face you again. I realised what a horrible thing I’d done to you and it seemed that no matter what I said, you weren’t willing to listen to me. Last time, you wouldn’t listen to me at all.’

‘By last time, you mean when you caught up with me the day after we... You didn’t even try hard to talk to me then, Jack.’

‘I had it in my head that I did and that you just walked away. Maybe I was wrong. But maybe we’ve also both learned something in the last six years.’

Maybe, Ianto thought doubtfully. Though, if Jack had called him up anytime in the last several months he might have slammed the phone down. He’d been pretty angry too, but not just at Jack.

‘I couldn’t just let it ride anymore,’ Jack went on. ‘Whether you want to hear me out or not, I have to at least tell you I’m sorry—for everything. At the same time, knowing what you had been through these last few years trying to finish school, I didn’t want to risk that. As long as you were doing alright, I didn’t want to risk unsettling you. So I waited until the semester was done—till today. And I thought if I approached you in public...’

Shanghaiing him was more like it. ‘I see.’

‘If I’ve done the wrong thing by coming to talk to you today, I’m sorry—but at least by waiting I didn’t throw you off course again and keep you from graduating.’

‘Very thoughtful of you. You said you knew I was doing alright? How? Oh, from Estelle I suppose.’

‘No. Gran wouldn’t so much as breath a word about you. I annoyed Toshiko until she told me how you were doing. She only gave me little bits, but enough to know you were doing well. I can tell you that woman is a hellcat. She had some choice words to say to me, too.’ Jack grimaced at the memory. She’d also hinted that if he wanted to clear the air with Ianto and possibly make a go of things the right way this time that he get his arse to Cardiff.

Ianto couldn’t help but smile. He knew exactly what Jack meant. Tosh was a force to be reckoned with. People mistakenly thought she was some petite and mild-mannered geek, but she was fiercely protective of her family and friends, and that included Ianto.

He turned in search of Tosh and spied her leaning against a tree and watching them thoughtfully. She waved to Ianto and nodded at Jack then slinked away with a guilty smile. Ianto would have to talk to her later about going behind his back. But he was sure she meant well.

‘I also called the head of the business school,’ Jack added.

Ah, that explained the comment on the stage as he collected his testamur. You have a bright future. ‘I suppose you read my report card in return for a nice contribution?’

‘Not exactly. But he did agree to keep an eye in you—and he seemed genuinely impressed by what he saw.’

Ianto said dryly, ‘He was probably only impressed because you were the one who was asking about me. He loves to use the Hubs as a good example—of everything.’

‘What are you going to do next, Ianto?’

Jack was finished, Ianto realised. The apology was over it seemed, the discussion complete, and now he was moving on to small talk for a few moments before saying goodbye. ‘Look for a job. So far I haven’t had anything, a small amount of interest but nothing definite.’

‘If you’re still interested, there is a position with Torchwood.’

‘That wasn’t a hint for a job, Jack. Besides. I’m terrible at sales, and I’d scare people away from the climbing wall—so thanks, but no.’

‘It’s corporate,’ Jack said. ‘I’d like you to set up that new simplified tracking system that you told me you could create for the Hubs.’

It would be his dream job, and for a moment Ianto let himself imagine how perfect it could all be.

‘I feel bad about the internship,’ Jack went on. ‘You kept your side of the deal—Gran’s finally moved out of the house, and everything’s settled—but I didn’t keep mine. I wanted to, but I thought that if I offered you a job, or offered to pay your rent, you’d throw it back in my face.’

‘I probably would have. But my living situation isn’t as bad as it used to be,’ Ianto admitted. ‘And I didn’t exactly accomplish what you wanted, anyway. It took Estelle all Spring to get the house mostly cleared out, and even though they’re remodelling now, she’s still got the china stacked in an upstairs closet because she swears you’re going to want it someday—so I didn’t figure you owed me anything.’

‘Well, that’s the past. Now that we’ve got things straightened out...’

Oh, yes. Everything’s just wonderful, now.

‘What about the job, Ianto? A real job, I mean—not an internship.’

Ianto eyed him suspiciously. ‘I thought you said you didn’t read my report card.’

Jack’s eyebrows furrowed. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Never mind. It’s nothing. Thanks for the offer—but I don’t think so, Jack.’

What else could he say? Working near him, working for him, but not being with him, would be more than he could bear.

Jack nodded, obviously not surprised Ianto had turned him down. Ianto wondered if there was a flicker of relief deep inside him. If so, at least he’d had the decency and self-control not to show it.

They’d reached the far edge of the area, where the shade of trees kept the path even cooler than the grassy area they’d crossed. The campus boundary was just ahead, and beyond that was only a neighbourhood of student housing. There was no further excuse to linger, so he looked at Jack and said, ‘Anything else you want to get off your chest before I go, Jack?’

Jack took his time answering. ‘I’ve really ruined things, haven’t I?’

Ianto wanted to say, Yes, you have! But then, No, I’ve ruined everything. Yet, he ached so long and so deeply that he was too guarded to admit there had been anything between them to ruin at all, anything at all.

‘At least let me walk with you.’

‘Why, Jack? What do you want from me?’ Ianto started walking, and Jack fell in beside him, the only sound was their footfalls and the murmured chattering from the crowd behind them which was becoming quieter with each step.

‘Look, Ianto, I’m not making any excuses.’ He looked at Ianto as if only seeing him for the first time, ‘But if I could take it all back, I would. I’d give my right arm if we could go back and start all over again.’

It was like a shock to the system, but something deep inside him relaxed—something which had been so tense since Christmas that he had grown used to it, even begun to think it was normal. ‘Oh, not the right arm, Jack,’ he murmured. ‘It would make climbing that wall much too difficult.’

Jack frowned at him as if he didn’t appreciate the feeble attempt at humour. ‘It’s taken me six years to figure out that what happened between us that night was no accident.’

Ianto snorted. ‘Of course it wasn’t an accident. You planned it.’

Jack shook his head. ‘I didn’t.’

‘Come on. You can't deny there was a bet.'

Current Mood: gloomy
Crossposts: http://madbottoms.livejournal.com/66938.html

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Posted by

wanda1969

God damn that bet (if indeed there was one, which I'm doubting)!
Yet again torn between looking forward to the last chapter, and sadness that all of this will be over with soon.
Sad to see that your mood is gloomy...

Posted by

madbottoms

My mood is in tune with work at the moment. I have leave coming up and still not found someone to backfill my job. Drives me mad.

Anyway, the story.... The 'bet' issue has finally been said out loud and I'm sure everyone is eager to find out if it really was a bet. Sorry to leave it hanging out there again. Wait...nah!

I'm sad that it is nealry done, too.

Posted by

wanda1969

I can wait, honestly I can!
Work... I feel your pain. My colleagues are so reluctant to cover for me when I'm on leave that all I do when I'm off is worry or fire off e-mails to work anyway!