kollo_rpg | Summer 20 | Action

Ianto has completely given up any attempts to be a morning person, not that he ever was to begin with - hence the massive amounts of coffee. Still he’s awake and more or less alert when he hears the knock on the door and goes to investigate. Somehow he’s a bit surprised to see Jack there, even if he feels like he should have been expecting him. Maybe it is time to reconnect in a bit less of a dramatic fashion.

“What have you got there?” Pleasantly curious because knowing Jack that basket could literally be filled with anything.

He laughs, realising he probably deserves that look and question, even though the basket's contents on this occasion are actually entirely innocent.

"Lunch!" he grins, flipping open the lip so Ianto can get a glimpse of the goodies he's gathered together from the shop - sandwiches and fruit and cake and beer.

He nods his head back towards the quay. "I thought I could take you out for a row in one of the little boats?"

It’s Jack, there could very well be other things hidden in that basket. He’s willing to accept it at face value for now, though. The fact that it’s a picnic implies it’s just the two of them, which is fine by him. Probably best for Jack to rebuild both those relationships separately before bringing it all together.

“That sounds nice. Let me just leave a note for Spike and I’m all yours for the day.” He ducks back inside long enough to jot down a quick memo and leave it in plain sight before joining Jack on the porch once more. “You must be loving this place with all its water.”

Yes, he's definitely feeling that connecting with Spike and Ianto separately is the way to go. Things did feel a little intimidating that one time they were all together in the cabin, but he's been fine dealing with each of them on their own - good, in fact. He's starting to be able to relax even with Spike again now, but he's not quite ready to face both of them together, yet.

(Ridiculous, really, to feel nervous about that, but it's just because they both mean so much to them and he's really quite terrified of disappointing them or letting them down!)

He leans a shoulder against the door jamb and smiles as he watches Ianto write the note for Spike, reflecting not for the first time how well it works that he and Spike exist in different timezones, so to speak. It makes it much easier to feel he's not encroaching too much on Spike's time with Ianto!

"Oh yeah, it's fantastic," he agrees, pulling the door closed behind Ianto in a gentlemanly manner and then offering him his free arm to lead him down towards the quay. "I don't think it's actually possible to get so far from the sea that you can't either hear it or see it, on this island! I love it." He grins. "Although I haven't managed to actually get out on it yet, so I'm really looking forward to that today!"

Clearly Jack is in the mood for some old fashioned romance what with the picnic and the boat and all. It’s rather adorable and he takes the arm good naturedly. It’s also refreshing to see him in a better mood than last time. Then again Jack does tend to jump between depressed and downcast to manic energy when he’s trying to cope with things so it may not be such a good sign after all.

“And suddenly I feel a great sense of dread and trepidation. Please try not to drown me.”

Jack has learned a lot about romancing Ianto over the last few years since Spike's been around. Not about the mechanics of romancing someone - he honed those skills over a century and a half ago - but more just remembering to do it with Ianto. He's still not that great at it, but every now and then he thinks of it and of course, when he does, he pulls out all the stops.

He gives Ianto a mock offended look at that comment. "Hey! I'll have you know I've been rowing boats since I was a kid!"

He grins. "Besides, if I drown you, I can always give you the kiss of life!"

“Space boats? Is space boats even the proper term?” Probably not. He’s learned much more about Jack’s childhood and history than he every though he would have when when they first got together. There are still a few mysteries but he knows the broad strokes of it.

“Promises promises.” He teases with a smile, letting Jack steer him towards the water and their destination. If he’s honest his is starting to sound like a lovely day out for the two of them.

He laughs. "No, not space boats. We never had the money to get off-world, not until I got into the Time Agency. I mean little wooden boats on the sea, like these!"

He gestures towards the row of little boats lined up along the jetty, all brightly painted in different colours. He picks a red one, because Ianto looks good in red, and helps him in, hands over the picnic basket and then pauses to take off his greatcoat and fold it over the railing, because if there's one thing he's learned over the years it's that if you do end up going overboard, doing it wrapped in heavy wool is not fun. Then he jumps neatly into the little boat and sits down, pausing to unfasten his cufflinks and roll his sleeves up. Because a) rowing is hot work and b) he knows it's a good look on him!

"All right?"

Oh he’s certainly not complaining about Jack’s more casual look. It goes without saying that he manages to make it look as good as everything else he does. And if he wants to be the one doing all the work who is Ianto to complain? He’s quite content to sit back, hold the basket and enjoy the show.

“Aye aye, Captain.” The title is actually appropriate for once. It’s also the extent of his nautical knowledge.

At the 'Aye aye, Captain', he has a momentary flashback to Gray saying that, but he blinks it away. At least it's an old memory, a lot less harrowing than flashbacks to more recent times.

He smiles, unties the boat, then takes hold of the oars and starts to paddle them out away from the quay. And then they're out on the open water and he can start to row properly, settling back into the repetitive movements as easily as riding a bike. He laughs, a little surprised. "Wow, it's been quite a while since I've done this. Still comes back to me, though!"

“Impressive.” It genuinely is. Jack always looks so at home and at ease around water. When they first met he never could have pictured him relaxing like this. “Maybe you could start offering tours of the island.” Although frankly he likes that this first tour is a private one.

“Do you have any particular destination in mind?” He asks curiously, looking around to take in the sights now that they’re properly out in the water.

He laughs. "I guess I could - or perhaps teach people how to use these boats for themselves. Might be fun!"

He glances about, loving how different the land always looks from the sea. "Not really. Just wanted to get out on the sea, away from everything, you know? It's so peaceful out here."

They're not even very far from land yet, but already all the sounds of the island have faded away, leaving them with just the whisper of the wind and the sound of the waves lapping gently against the boat, and the oars dipping in and out of the water.

“Teach me sometime, then.” Not today, as he’s very happy observing, but someday. He likes he idea of understanding something Jack enjoys so much.

It is peaceful and he smiles, enjoying the splash of the oars, the seclusion. “Well you’ve gotten me out to sea. Now what?”

"I'd love to," he says sincerely, and puts his back into it a bit more to get them round the headland from the quay, leaving the village out of sight. Just the two of them, for all intents and purposes alone in the world.

"Now you can get me a beer out of that basket," he grins, a little breathless from exertion. "I'm going to need it in a minute!"

There is something extremely romantic to all this. He also likes the fact that it’s just the two of them - something that can be hard to find time for when there are three people in this relationship of theirs.

He pulls two bottles out of the basket, still cool enough to enjoy and hands one over to Jack before cracking open his own. “You have come prepared. I never know what to expect when you turn up with a basket of mystery items.” Maybe that can be next time.

Well, if anything, Jack does know how to treat a guy (when he remembers to try). And yes, definitely just the two of them for now. He's going to have to work up to all three again, even if he is very much looking forward to getting there again!

He lets go of the oars for a minute to take his beer with a smile of thanks, and chuckles. "Disappointed?" he asks, his eyes gleaming.

“Hardly. It’s just an excuse for me to surprise you in the future.” Something else to work up to. They’ve played around quite a bit in five years but they aren’t there right now and that’s a level of trust they both need to reestablish before introducing anything else into things.

“I told Spike about what happened and why you’re here.” An obvious change in conversation even if he keeps his tone light. “I figured you’d want to know.”

"Heh, I'll look forward to that, then!" he promises, lifting his bottle in a toast and then taking a long drink. He's not really expecting very much in the immediate future, but that's not going to stop him looking forward to any fun that lies ahead!

He sobers when Ianto speaks again, and puts the beer down and takes hold of the oars again, perhaps as a distraction, although it's not as hard as he might once have thought to keep his eyes on Ianto at this news. He nods slowly. "Thanks. I really do appreciate that. I know I need to talk to him myself as well, but... well. It's easier if he at least knows the basics."

“He’ll be there when you need him,” This isn’t a subject Ianto plans on dwelling on, not unless Jack desperately wants to. He needed to know about Spike and where they all stand but after pouring his soul out the other day he suspects Jack wants something more lighthearted. The picnic and rowboat were pretty obvious clues of that.

So he takes a sip of his drink and changes the subject with a smile to let Jack know he’s aware of what he’s doing here. “Have you been swimming much here, or is the water too cold?”

He smiles, softly. "I know." He's far more grateful to have Spike around than he ever would have thought, once upon a time. Spike has a way of seeing things clearly when he can't, and that's a knack he really appreciates.

But yes, he is very definitely about lighthearted fun and romance today and so he lets the subject go, grateful to Ianto for bringing it up, but also grateful to him for not making a big thing about it.

He inclines his head. "Not as much as I'd intended to, actually. Been moping a bit too much, I guess. But it's not that cold. A little nippy but..." He grins. "You know me. Thick skinned! I can take it."

“So you won’t hate me too much for this?” Ianto asks innocently as he leans closer, not for a kiss but an abrupt shove, light enough for Jack to resist if he’s quick on his feet but sudden enough to tip him out of the boat and into the water if he isn’t.

Okay, he's got good reactions but that takes him completely by surprise and although he grabs at the oars it's too late and his hands slip off with the momentum of the push. He goes over into the water (with a big enough splash that he certainly won't be the only one getting wet from this) and surfaces, gasping, a few feet away. He swims deftly back to the boat and grabs onto the side, panting.

"Hey! What was that for?!?"

((OOC: Sorry for the slow - rough (and busy!) couple of days!))

If he’s being honest Ianto hadn’t actually expected that to work and let’s out a short, surprised laugh as Jack topples over the side. He doesn’t really bother fighting it back as he surfaces, but he does lean out over the side to offer him a hand. “You seemed like you could use a bit of incentive since you haven’t done much swimming. Or maybe I just thought it would be funny to watch.”

((No worries! Hope it’s all ok!))

He shakes his head and takes Ianto's hand to help haul himself back up into the boat. (He briefly contemplates using said hand to pull Ianto over too, but he knows how much harder it is to get back into a boat that hasn't got someone's weight holding it steady without tipping the boat itself over, and he'd rather keep his lunch dry!)

He humphs a bit as he pulls off his boots to empty out the water and then shakes his head vigorously to dry his hair off, liberally spattering water over Ianto as he does.

"I generally prefer not to be wearing quite so many clothes when I go swimming, Ianto," he says drolly, apparently not holding any grudges.

Or perhaps just not giving in to them yet.

((OOC: Yeah, all good now!))

He accepts the splashing without complaint, pulling Jack back into the boat and fighting back another laugh. It’s not often he does his sort of thing, but he does have his occasional mischievous side.

“Shall I help you remove them?” Don’t say he doesn’t know how to play a long game. He’s certainly happy to use the confined space of the boat to stay pressed against him in the name of helping get warm, even if he ends up rather soggy in the process.

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