Holy crap! I am so sorry it took so long to update this - it's just that college is keeping me intensely busy and I've been going in and out of weird moods and writer's block for a few months now. My poor muse is taking quite the beating :P. So, anyway, yes! This story isn't dead, it's still very much alive, and updates will be coming much quicker now since school is nearly done. I seriously apologize about the long delay. To those of you who are still around, thank you for putting up with my huge lack of updatage. This will most likely be updated much, much, much more often than "Trials" - to fans of that, I'm sorry - I just can't get into writing chapters for "Trials" at the moment.

On a side note, just because I'm curious - I've been reading a lot of HP fics; mainly Draco/Harry ones. Does anyone think I should give those two a shot in between working on Janto stories :]? Or just different sorts of HP fanfic?

Chapter Three

"Oh...oh no."

Ianto slowly came to awareness, staring up at his ceiling and then squeezing his eyes shut. The previous night ran through his head and he slammed his hands over his face, hoping that it had all just been a horrible nightmare. A knock at his bedroom door made Ianto slide his hands away from his face and sit up slightly in his bed, spotting Tosh standing in the doorway.

She was nursing two cups of what Ianto assumed to be coffee from the smell, and a small smirk lingered on the woman's features. "Good to see you're awake." Tosh sounded far too amused, and Ianto attempted a glare that he knew probably just looked pathetic at the moment. Bouncing over to him, the dark haired woman hopped onto the edge of Ianto's bed and forced one of the cups into his hand. The Welshman attempted to continue the glare, but gave up and took a sip of the coffee.

For some reason, the drink always made him feel better while enduring a hangover, and he gave a content sigh and relaxed back into his pillows. The night before surfaced again, however, and Ianto groaned. "Please, please, tell me I didn't make an arse out of myself last night."

"Well," Tosh giggled - actually had the bloody nerve to giggle, as if there was something funny about what had happened - and lifted her shoulders up in a shrug. "I don't know if I'd say you made an arse of yourself. We all thought it was kind of cute, actually."

"Cute." Ianto raised a disbelieving eyebrow, shaking his head. "How is making an idiot out of myself cute?"

She laughed a little bit more, and Ianto glared again as best as he could. "You just usually don't act that way - I dunno." Tosh smiled against the brim of the cup as she lifted it to her lips. "If it helps, I think Mister Harkness thought it was funny."

"Tosh. That doesn't help! That's why I didn't want to make an idiot out of myself! Great first impression, that. Meet Ianto Jones - the insane drunk of Wales." Ianto groaned and threw a pillow over his face, not catching Tosh's eye roll and only gripping the pillow sheet tighter when the woman attempted to pull it away.

"Oh, stop it. It's not likely you'll see him again anyway. Gwen mentioned work usually keeps him really busy - she was surprised they could talk him into meeting at the pub last night." She managed to tug the pillow away from Ianto now, who was staring forlornly up at the ceiling. "Now," Tosh stood up, glancing down at the watch around her wrist and pushing her glasses up her nose, "I'm running late for work, but I told Elrik that you weren't feeling too well and he said he'd give you the day off, but to be in earlier tomorrow to finish up some paperwork. So, I'd suggest taking full advantage of that - quit sulking and go have some fun or something."

Tosh bent down and pecked Ianto on the cheek, laughing as he gave her a sarcastic thumbs up on her way out.

Deciding ten minutes after Tosh had left to not take his friend's advice, Ianto was currently busying himself around his home. It was still a mess, considering Ianto had only moved in a few weeks ago, and the pile of boxes was slowly driving him insane. He'd just managed to tear open one box and was sorting through a group of photos when his mobile rang.

Not bothering to look at the number, Ianto snatched it up and opened the front, pressing it to his ear. He tilted his head to keep it firmly in place, eyeing a picture that contained him and his ex before dumping it into the trash beside him. "Hello?"

"Hey, Ianto, it's Jack Harkness." An overly cheerful American voice answered him and Ianto nearly dropped the phone in shock. The sudden jerking movement, however, caused the box in front of him to tumble forward and land hard on his foot . The Welshman cursed loudly, hopping around on one foot for a few moments. Once finished, he heard the other man's laugh over the line. "That's not the typical response I get when I call someone. Well...unless you're an ex or someone else I've upset..."

Breathing hard and wincing, Ianto rubbed a hand over his face. "Uh. Yes. Sorry about that." He paused, and then realized something a bit belatedly, blaming that on his current hangover. "How did you get my number?"

"Gwen. I wanted to make sure you got home alright."

Ianto blinked a little. "Why?"

"Well, who knows the kind of trouble that a gorgeous, drunken Welshman could get into."

The said Welshman choked, spluttered, and pulled the receiver a little away from his ear to stare at it in shock. Even then, he could hear another of Harkness's laughs coming through. Ianto pressed the phone back to his ear, giving an awkward cough and bending down to lift the box back up and put it back safely in its original position. "I appreciate the concern, Mister Har -"

"Jack."

"...Jack, but really, it's not necessary. I had Tosh with me." He shut the box back up, moving toward his kitchen now and trying to side step his cat, Calypso, who was circling around his ankles. "I want to apologize about last night."

Once again, he was cut off. "Nah, don't be. That was the most fun I've had in a long time."

Ianto gave a shake of the head, then reminded himself the other man couldn't see. "Still, I'm sorry I acted that way. I'm usually much more controlled than that." He opened up a cabinet as he spoke, taking down a second cup and worrying on his lower lip as the coffee machine was started up.

There was a pause across the line, as though Harkness - Jack - was thinking something over. "Well, I'm all for you making it up to me, if you'd like." He sounded amused again, and Ianto could just picture the smirk on his face from last night.

"Make it up to you?"

"Yeah." Another pause, and then the American continued on. "How does lunch sound? I haven't been able to check out most places around here, and I figure a local could show me some great places to eat."

Ianto frowned, thinking. It wouldn't do any harm, he supposed a second later. After all, Elrik had given him the day off. "Alright. Where would be alright to meet?"

"The Plass is probably the best bet."

Another moment passed, and then Ianto sighed a little. "I'll be there in about ten minutes, then."

"Right." He could detect something that sounded like a grin in the man's voice now. "It's a date. See you in a bit." And he hung up, leaving Ianto to stare at the phone with a slightly puzzled look, trying to figure out what he'd just agreed to.

Read and review please, and maybe updates will come faster :P!