One

Jack Harkness reached across the pushchair to open the door one-handed, wondering yet again why there wasn't an easier way to get into the building. Not that the sleeping baby within even stirred, and not that the pushchair was so heavy that he couldn't manage; yet in a few months it would be more difficult. Of course, he hoped to find a house by then, since raising a baby in a modern flat in the center of Cardiff hardly felt like the most family-friendly way to bring up a child.

It was a pain in the arse to hold the door while maneuvering the pushchair, and Jack swore under his breath yet again as it began to close on them. One of these days he was either going to give up their weekends at the park, or kick the door in, break his foot, and wake the baby. And he wouldn't care as long as the damn door didn't hit him for once.

He glanced up in surprise when the door did not close on them, instead held open by a young man who was smiling with understanding. Jack smiled back and hurried into the lobby, thanking the man profusely.

"It's no problem whatsoever," the man replied. He had dark hair, long sideburns, and a smile that was small and private, yet warm and genuine. "I'm used to holding doors for my sister. Double carriages are even worse."

Jack laughed with him. "I can only imagine. Twins?"

The man shook his head as he walked toward the lift with Jack. "No, but only two years apart, and the double pushchair was a right pain in the arse. Of course, now that they're both out of the buggy, sometimes it's even more difficult getting them around!"

Jack wasn't sure how to respond and nodded, trying not to stare. The man was attractive, dressed casually in khaki pants and loafers, with a blue polo shirt that matched the color of his eyes. Which Jack certainly wasn't noticing for any reason other than that they matched the stylish shirt. He was carrying a large bag that Jack thought might have been a camera bag.

"I think it'll be fun once she can do more than roll over and sit up," Jack mused as they waited for the lift. The other man nodded.

"That's what everyone says," he replied. "Until they spend all their free time chasing their newly mobile offspring."

Jack laughed again. "You sound like a man of great experience," he said, though the other man was certainly several years younger than him. The lift arrived and they entered together, Jack awkwardly trying to maneuver the pushchair without hitting the other man. "Do you have kids of your own?"

The dark-haired man shook his head as he pressed the button for the fifth floor. Jack indicated the fourth. "No, a niece and a nephew," he replied. "How about you? Just the one?"

"Er, yes," Jack stuttered, unsure how to reply, but there was something about the man that encouraged Jack to tell him the truth rather than spin a tale. To be honest, it wasn't something he wanted to lie about, but he didn't always feel comfortable sharing such things with strangers either. "Just the one. She's actually my niece."

The man nodded sagely. "Ah, another uncle then. It's fun spoiling them and sending them home, isn't it?"

Jack held back a sigh as he reached down to check on the sleeping baby. "I imagine it is," he said quietly. "But I'm raising her now. My brother and his wife died three months ago." It still hurt to think about it, yet alone share with a complete stranger. It had been one of the worst days of his life, losing his only brother and the last of his immediate family. As the baby's legal guardian, he had carried on for her sake, and she had helped him heal even if she wasn't aware of it.

When Jack glanced back up, the man was very still and gazing at Jack with a look of deep sympathy. "God, I'm sorry. And you're…" He trailed off, obviously not wanting to pry, but wanting to know more. Jack liked the man. He was friendly and well-mannered, and seemed to know about kids. Jack had found few men in his social circle who did; for some reason, most of his friends were still bachelors.

"I'm her guardian," he replied, then smiled. "Her Tad now, I guess. It's me and her against the world, trying our best."

The other man stepped over to the pushchair and crouched, glancing at the sleeping child within. A large smile blossomed across his face before he glanced up. "She's beautiful. What's her name?"

"Lauren," Jack replied. "Lauren Grace."

"A beautiful name for a beautiful girl," the man replied. He looked like he wanted to reach out and run a finger along her cheek, but held back and stood instead. "I'm sure you're doing much better than you think. Raising a baby is hard work, especially when it's so unexpected."

The lift stopped on the fourth floor, but Jack was reluctant to step out. When the doors chirped at him, however, he realized he would look like a fool if he didn't, so he slowly backed out with the pushchair while the other man stepped over to the panel to hold the doors open. Jack paused in the corridor and smiled.

"Thanks again for your help," he said. "I'm Jack, by the way. Jack Harkness. In apartment 404."

The man held out his hand, and Jack moved forward to shake it, encountering a firm grip that sent unexpected sparks throughout his body.

"Jones. Ianto Jones," the man replied. "I moved into 504 about a month ago. So right above you."

Jack bit back the first thing that popped into his mind, literally closing his mouth on the inappropriate comment with a smirk. Ianto seemed to sense something and nodded.

"Right. I'll try to keep it down. Wouldn't want to wake the baby," he said, a twinkle in his eye.

"Or her guardian. I think I'm the one who actually needs more sleep," Jack grumbled.

Ianto laughed. "I imagine you probably do. See you around, Jack."

Jack watched as the doors shut. He stood there for a long moment, thinking about his meeting with the man upstairs. He hadn't seen Ianto Jones around the building before, and he certainly would have noticed a man like that. He didn't stand out, but his calm, casual demeanor was immensely appealing. Ianto was also quite attractive, and Jack never missed noticing an attractive man or woman. He was glad to have met him, and hoped he ran into Ianto again. He thought about flirting a little, to see if he could still play the game even though he was taken, albeit by child.

Lauren chose that moment to stir, letting out the little cry that Jack immediately recognized as the "I'm hungry!" cry she inevitably woke up with each afternoon after her nap. He hurried down the hall to his flat, half his mind planning the rest of his weekend with the baby, the other half turning over his encounter with Ianto Jones and looking forward to another.

He didn't have long to wait.

Lauren was giggling happily with her nanny when Jack left for work on Monday morning. He was waiting in the corridor when the lift arrived, his mind drifting from Lauren to work to Ianto Jones, and he stepped forward only to walk right into the subject of his distracted thoughts.

"Oh god, I'm sorry!" Jack exclaimed, glancing up to find Ianto Jones grinning at him, headphones tucked into his ears.

"Good morning to you too," Ianto replied, taking out the earbuds. "In a hurry or still asleep?"

"A little of both?" Jack suggested with a rueful laugh. "Sorry, my head is in the clouds." He certainly wasn't going to tell Ianto what he'd been thinking about since most of his distracted thoughts had been about his upstairs neighbor.

"It's Monday," Ianto said. "We all have those sorts of mornings."

"Mondays are a lot harder than they used to be," Jack replied without thinking, instantly regretting his words because they sounded whiny and ungrateful. But Ianto nodded in understanding.

"Harder leaving home these days?" he asked knowingly.

"Got it in one," Jack laughed again. "You sure you don't have kids?"

"Just friends and relatives who barely stop talking about them," Ianto replied. The lift arrived in the lobby and they exited, walking out of the building together. "Where's Lauren this morning? With your wife?"

Jack shook his head. "I told you yesterday it's only me and her. No, she's with her nanny, Gwen. A friend of a friend was looking to change jobs, so she left the police force to care for Lauren full time."

Ianto raised an eyebrow, an expression that fit him perfectly and that Jack instantly adored. "Lauren's quite safe then, isn't she? It sounds like a great arrangement."

"It is, it really is," Jack said with a shrug. "It's still hard to leave her, though. She's so young."

"I'm sure it is, but she's in good hands. She's what? Eight or nine months old?"

"Eight," replied Jack, once again impressed with the man's experience.

"It's a fun age," Ianto said. "She can sit up and eat, she can play, and she'll probably start crawling any day if she hasn't already. But she can't run away and can't talk back yet." He winked, and Jack thought it was even better than the eyebrow. He was definitely intrigued by Ianto Jones.

"Don't scare me." Jack pretended to moan, earning a smile from Ianto. "I'm looking forward to the walking and talking whether I should or not."

"Good for you," Ianto nodded, smiling again. "You should be. Kids are really special." A sad look crossed his face before he focused on Jack again. "So where are you off to? Work, I assume? Unless you always walk out in a suit and tie."

They had stopped on the pavement in front of their building, standing close under the morning sun. Jack nodded with a smile that probably looked fairly dopey. He really needed to get his feet under him; normally he was the one making sure the person he was talking to was completely flustered by his charm. It was strange to experience it from the other side, and to think that Ianto was probably completely unaware of the effect he was having on Jack.

"Yep," said Jack, feeling incredibly inarticulate. "I work for Torchwood Financial, not far from here."

Ianto frowned as he looked away, toward the direction of the large building where Jack walked every day. "I know it," he said, his voice flat. Jack was confused by the man's response.

"And you're not particularly impressed?" he offered. To his relief, Ianto turned back and gave him an apologetic smile.

"Sorry," he replied. "It's not that at all. It's…well, my ex-girlfriend works for Torchwood in London."

"And it wasn't a good break-up, I take it?" Jack asked, curious about the man's reaction and forgetting his manners. "Sorry, that's none of my business."

Ianto shrugged. "No, I don't mind. It was as amicable as it could have been, I suppose, which was not much. She was based here when she was offered a transfer to London. She took it." He kicked at some dust on the pavement, and Jack felt a burst of sympathy for the man, because obviously the break-up had affected him deeply.

"Did you try the long-distance thing?" he asked, knowing he was probably prying too much, but also hoping that Ianto would keep talking. It wasn't because he loved the man's deep voice and gorgeous accent; he sensed a kindred spirit, and when it came down to it, he was lonely in Cardiff. Jack could use a friend. He remembered Ianto saying he had moved in a month ago, so maybe the other man needed one too.

"No," said Ianto, meeting Jack's eyes with a rueful smile. "It's London—she wanted a new start. I didn't. So that was that."

"I'm sorry," said Jack and he meant it. He knew how difficult a break up could be, having been through one or two of his own, even when it was meant to happen. He almost asked if Ianto was seeing anyone else, but sensed it was the wrong question to ask and didn't want to put the other man off. "How long ago did she move to London?"

"Been about six months, I suppose," Ianto replied.

"I came back to Torchwood in the fall," Jack said, curious. "What's her name?"

"Lisa Hallett," Ianto replied. "She was an analyst in Cardiff."

Jack nodded. "Sounds familiar, I think we met a few times. I'm in personal finance."

"Last I heard she was climbing the corporate ladder. And seeing someone in the tech department."

Jack noted the resignation in the man's voice, but no bitterness. He leaned closer, feeling his confidence start to come back. "The tech department in London are a bunch of high strung pricks," he mock whispered. "Just so you know."

"Thanks," Ianto laughed. "Makes it easier to know she's dating an arsehole."

"I'd almost guarantee it," Jack said, clapping him on the shoulder in support. "So where are you off to?" he asked, parroting Ianto's words. "The gym, I assume, unless you always walk out in trainers?" Ianto was dressed in shorts and a black tee shirt, a cap on his head and a shadow of stubble on his face. Jack thought he looked as good as he had over the weekend in khakis and a polo, and tried not to stare again.

"Not exactly," Ianto replied. "Going for a run. I run along the river a few times a week. Gives me time to clear my head, think about my schedule for the day."

"What do you do?" asked Jack, guessing the man didn't work in the financial world with a such a flexible schedule.

"I'm a photographer," Ianto replied. "I do a little bit of everything, from formal functions to private sessions. Running keeps me focused, but also helps me not get caught up in work too much."

Jack admired the man's dedication and said so. "I used to run," he said. "But I don't think a jogging carriage is really my thing right now."

"I don't understand how the kids stand them!" Ianto agreed, making a bumping motion with his head and shoulders. They laughed together before Ianto held out his hand once more.

"I'll let you get to work," he said. "It was good to see you again, Jack."

"You too," said Jack, frantically trying to think of something to say that would allow him to see Ianto Jones again. "Hey, do you want to grab a coffee some morning before we head off in separate directions? So we don't keep meeting in lifts and lobbies?"

Ianto nodded, a small smile on his face but an uncertain look in his eyes. Nervousness, perhaps? Or was he trying to decide how to say no? Jack hoped not.

"Sure, that'd be great. How about Wednesday morning? I've got a session that morning so I'll need an extra cup or two of caffeine."

"Sounds perfect," said Jack, grinning broadly. "Same time, same place?"

"If you mean the lobby at approximately," Ianto glanced at his watch, "8am, then yes. I'll see you then."

They made their farewells, and Jack couldn't help but watch as Ianto took off down the street, tucking his headphones back into his ears and heading toward the river. His long legs moved gracefully at a quick clip, and Jack admired the view until Ianto glanced over his shoulder and caught him. The other man waved before turning left, and Jack took a deep breath, struggling to focus.

Because all he could think about was Wednesday morning and having that cup of coffee with Ianto Jones.

Author's Note:

Another story I started ages and ages ago that I've come back to. This was my working title from the start, and I've stuck with it even if it's been used elsewhere and is a bit schmoopy. But so is the story—completely AU, I hope it might be a fluffy balm for difficult times. Don't worry, I'll get back to real Torchwood angst soon enough! Thanks for reading!