TITLE: Five ways Ianto got a girlfriend, and one way he didn't
AUTHOR: Erin Giles
RATING: PG
SUMMARY: Just as the title says.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything, all belong to the BBC and RTD.
PAIRING: Ianto/five different women
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Well I finally fell into that five ways trap… (I blame too much of the House/Wilson!) Also I'm still on the drabbles. I am getting there with Family Matters, fear not… the next chapter is almost typed up!
It's Jack kissing a random barmaid that makes him finally snap.
Jealousy boils up in him that he can't begin to describe but he keeps it all bottled up inside, excusing himself from the team's celebratory drinks and heads home for an early night.
When he gets outside the pub he calls the girl he met last week in the bar round the corner from his home. By the time he gets back to his house he's got a smile on his face and a date for the following evening, baring work emergencies.
Across town, Jack's only just noticing his absence.
Gwen's pushing him across the dance floor before he knows what's happening. Hands are on his waist, moving his hips in time to the music, body pressed firmly into his before she spins him round, dazzling smile reminding him of Jack.
He relaxes at that thought and three shots of tequila later he's in a booth with her breathing gently on his neck, sending shivers down his spine as she whispers in his ear.
The next morning he's got a splitting headache, Gwen's not talking to him and he's got a phone number written on his arm in lipstick.
"Um, Ianto," She's blushing as he looks up at her across the coffee counter, a hand playing self-consciously with a few stray strands of her striking purple-red hair.
She smoothes the green apron that is obligatory for all coffee house employees, shell and wooden bracelets clanging off the end of the counter as she leans a hand on it. Her moss green eyes gaze up at him, and it is in that moment that for the first time Ianto realises how beautiful she is.
"I was wondering if you wanted to get some coffee, together, when I'm not working, maybe."
Owen had dared him to do it. He had apparently spent most of the evening staring at the brunette skirt at the bar and Owen had dared him.
Ianto took a deep breath, sure he would get a slap in the face for what he was about to say, but Owen had threatened him with something much worse that involved actual public nudity.
Ianto sat back down at the table with Owen, a shell shocked look on his face.
"Well?" Owen asked over the top of his beer, trying to hide a snigger.
"She said yes."
"She said what?"
"Fourth time this week you lot have ordered pizza, and it's only bloody Wednesday, anyone would think you fancied me Ianto." She smiles at him, leaning across the desk so he can see that she has a pink bra with hearts on beneath her work top.
He blushes as he fishes round for change to pay her, fumbling it so the twenty pence pieces give their own version of the death scene in Swan Lake.
They bump heads as she tries to help him, giggling and rubbing at their respective foreheads before he feels soft lips against his own.
It was Tosh's idea. He remembers her words as being taunting the way she waggled the leaflet in front of his eyes, her face the picture of innocence as he read the words 'speed dating'.
"It's a night out with a difference."
Well it was certainly different he thought as he listened to some woman rambling on about her seven goldfish that were named after the seven dwarfs. The bell dings before she starts naming her cats.
Tosh is giggling at him. He rolls his eyes in return as he moves to the next table.
She reminds him of Lisa.