Log with Ianto: Date Night

[parked]

It was strange, really, how much effort Sulu had put into preparing for this date with Ianto. His usual modus operandi was to comb back his hair a bit, throw on a tee-shirt and jeans and just, well, show up. No flowers, no chocolates, no presents, just a casual sort of attitude that usually worked wonders to make the whole situation less stressful for both parties.

But. Ianto was not part of his usual style and Sulu found himself taking twice as long getting ready as he did for anyone else. Hell, he'd even went shopping for clothes he'd never normally wear (with Gwen, who he was pretty sure enjoyed putting him through the wringer when it came to Ianto), put effort into how his hair looked, took three double-glances in the mirror - Jesus. It was only a date.

With Ianto. The guy who had this uncanny ability to make him feel like his awkward fifteen-year-old self just by grabbing his hand.

At least he had an excuse for the gift - he'd told Ianto that he'd bring him a plant, and it was Ianto's birthday present, anyway, so it wasn't like this was specifically date-related. He could still pretend to be at least a little casual about these kinds of things. You know, despite the fact that his stomach twisted into knots as soon as he called Ianto to make sure that no last-minute Torchwood business had come up.

World hopping, luckily, did nothing to mess up his hair (not that you could really mess up the generic look it always fell into when he tried to style it), nor did it cause the plant he had in hand to wither, wilt, or otherwise be destroyed. He'd gone out of his way to find a nice pot for it, something a little more futuristic than traditional terracotta, since Ianto would appreciate that more than tradition. Hopefully.

After all, this whole date was pretty traditional. Sulu even went for the front-door approach, which he hadn't done since his girlfriend in senior year of high school. He shook himself out a bit for a second, minding the plant, so he could get rid of some of the jitters he was feeling, and then rolled his eyes at his own idiocy and just went for knocking on the door, before he could get himself even more worked up than he already was.

Comments

[parked]

Sulu's expression brightened a bit when the food came, because - well, let's face it. He was a 21-year-old man who rarely got to eat bar food nowadays. Plus, he hadn't had prawns in years, so he was pretty glad to be able to try the 21st century variety. He picked out a few prawns and put them on his own side plate, grinning at Ianto. "Laverbread?" It didn't sound particularly appetizing, but if Ianto liked it, Sulu would try it.

"Oh, and yeah - 3D chess is, it's like regular chess but instead of the board on one level, you have three main levels, plus two smaller levels that have two boards. One person starts on the top level, while the other person starts on the bottom." He tried to describe the board while using his hands to indicate where the levels would go, making a face. "I can't seem to get the hang of it; it's got a few too many levels for me to work with, is all."

[torchwoodteaboy]

Ianto took a bite of his onion ring, and decided that it was still a little too hot to really enjoy, yet, so he shoveled some chips onto his plate to cool down as well, reaching for the vinegar to smother them with (some things never changed). "Laverbread is..." He laughed. "Well, it doesn't sound like the most healthy or appetizing of foods, but I promise you it's actually pretty good. It's essentially...well. Laver is a type of seaweed. You take the laver and you boil it for a while, then mince it into a paste and well, fry it. Generally with bacon and cockles. It's, well. It's about as Welsh a dish as you can get, and it kind of looks like green mud paste, really, but I like it," Ianto said, with a smile and a shrug.

Ianto listened attentively to Sulu's description of 3D chess, trying to make sense of it. It was hard, though, because he was more inclined to pay attention to watching Sulu explain it than actually listening to how it worked, really. "Well. It's fine if you can't get it. I mean, you can't be good at everything, yeah? And you're a botanist and a pilot, not a maths specialist. I'd imagine that they are pretty separated from one other," he said, with a smile, as he reached to take another sip from his water.

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Sulu raised an eyebrow at the description of laverbread, giving Ianto a skeptical look as he munched on a prawn. The fact that it was a bit too hot for actual eating didn't seem to phase him too much. "I'm not sure that I can agree on that, but. One of these days you can make me try it, and I won't complain unless it's terrible," he laughed.

Admittedly, Sulu didn't like the idea of not being good at everything. Then again, he was a determined sort of guy, and it wasn't his style to admit to that kind of thing, whether or not it was true about him. He needed to be more humble, he knew. "I know, but. I'm - I'm sort of good at physics, so you'd think I could figure out something that takes place on multiple planes." He shrugged. "It doesn't matter - I'm the one who's growing live produce instead of replicated produce. 3D chess can't do that."

[torchwoodteaboy]

Ianto laughed at the look that Sulu gave him at the description of the laverbread. "Oi," he said, looking mock offended, "you're Japanese, you have absolutely no right to give me that sort of a look over anything, especially seaweed. I know for a fact that there are plenty of stranger, more disgusting things out there that I could be trying to force on you, thanks very much."

He smiled at Sulu's statement about the produce. "No, I can't imagine that 3D chess would be able to grow produce. Or do very much of anything else at all, all things considered," he teased. "Still, though, that's admirable. Being able to grow your own food, and all. I mean, sure, you guys have replicators and all, but. Does everyone have that? And beside that, I don't really understand the logic behind eating the fake, not-quite-right replicated produce when with a little effort, you could have the real thing."

"I mean," he said, munching on his onion ring, "I understand that being out on a mission like you are is a little different, but I'm sure that people who have much more of an opportunity to grow their own food don't. It's like that now, even."

[parked]

"We don't boil and mince seaweed and eat it with... whatever cockles are." (Obviously, Sulu knew biologically what they were, but he also knew he'd never want to eat them, so they had to be something else.) He laughed nonetheless, though, sort of pleased that Ianto seemed to be relaxing pretty quickly with the introduction of some food and drinks into the mix.

"Oh," Sulu said at the reference to replicated food. "I might just be a little picky. Replicators pretty much exactly produce food how it's supposed to be, I just like the idea of growing and harvesting my own things. Most people don't have to farm when it comes to food, but there are a lot of farming communities nonetheless, because we have the opportunity to bring food to everyone that way. Replicators and the like pretty much wiped out famine, but that doesn't stop people from wanting to make sure our food supply is never too short, you know?" He laughed, "Just in case."

[torchwoodteaboy]

The waiter came by with their second round of drinks, and Ianto thanked him for them, taking another sip of ale before continuing. "Oh, come off it. Cockles are mollusks. Little clams, really. Don't ask me why they call them that, though, I really couldn't tell you. Sounds awful, doesn't it?" He made a face, laughing slightly. "Almost as bad as 'laverbread'." Okay, yes. Ianto was more relaxed, thanks to the alcohol. He took another long drink of his ale, enjoying himself, the brew, and the company.

He ate some of his chips as he listened to Sulu talk about replicated food. He'd honestly forgotten the whole bit about there not being any famine in the world anymore, that no one out there was starving. It was hard to remember that, well, at least Sulu's future was a better place, when there were still some really pretty horrible conditions going on right at that very moment. "Must be nice," Ianto said, after a moment, "living like that. Never having to really want for material goods, at any rate. Certainly better than working yourself to death just to scrape by. Not... Not that I do that, with a job like Torchwood," he said, flushing a little, "but still. My...my sister still lives in an estate, and all."

[parked]

"I really can't say anything about weird foods," Sulu said with a smile, "Culturally speaking, we have some pretty bizarre stuff ourselves. My grandmother still eats nattō, even though there are more appetizing options available with the invention of replicators."

Sulu admittedly felt a little self-conscious about the differences between his universe and Ianto's. It was against the prime directive, for one (not that that had mattered before); he also had to wonder if it was a little disparaging for Ianto to hear about how much better the 23rd century was than the 21st, when it came to things like disease and famine. It wasn't a time he'd ever get to see - not unless Sulu brought him there.

He'd just have to do that when he had the chance, he supposed. "It is nice," he admitted slowly. "Everyone wants to make the whole community better, rather than focus on themselves. There are still the odd collectors, places that use credits - because there are still things that need to be manufactured, after all, and manufacturing costs money, especially with imports - but it isn't the same as here." He shrugged, offering Ianto a smile before taking a small drink from his glass. "I have to admit, though, I do like it here." He added with a wink, "The company's pretty amazing."

[torchwoodteaboy]

"'Nattō'?" Ianto questioned. "Dare I even ask what that might be? It sounds... Well, maybe I'm just inferring, there. Since you already mentioned bizarre foods and said that there were more appetizing alternatives, I'm not quite sure what to think about it." He worked on finishing the chips on his plate, nabbing one of the prawns in the process.

He listened again to what Sulu had to say about the future. It did sound nice. It didn't really upset him about the conditions that they had now, though. After all, it was all part of the progression, right? Ianto just understood that they hadn't gotten to that level yet, there in the 21st century. They were from different universes, but maybe this universe would achieve the replicator too, or something a lot like it, and figure out its own way to solve these problems. Sure, Ianto wouldn't be around then, but it was still interesting to think about.

Ianto blushed at the company comment, though. Apparently the alcohol hadn't quite gotten that reaction to go away. Ianto didn't suppose that it would, though. Probably ever. "Well," Ianto said, looking down at his ale as he took a sip and blushed at Sulu, "I'm glad you enjoy it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure if you still enjoy the company, you'll keep coming back, yeah?"

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"It's fermented soybeans, basically. It smells and has a very... specific taste; I can't really stand it, but like I said, my grandmother likes it. It's got lots of protein, which is good, but it just looks terrible." He made a face and pulled some chips onto his plate, shaking his head. "So at least you like your weird cultural dishes," he laughed.

Taking another drink of his ale, Sulu couldn't help but smirk at the reaction he was getting out of Ianto. Apparently, drinking wasn't completely getting rid of that blush, which Sulu really couldn't mind. After all, he really liked how it looked on Ianto. "That's the idea," he said. "Good company means more return trips. And now, apparently, we have an easier way for me to do that, thanks to Jack's present." Wasn't that getting awfully close to breaking into a conversation about Ianto's unusual (for his time) relationships, though? Sulu couldn't find it in him to care too much. "It doesn't hurt that you know how to pick out drinks for me, though," he added with a laugh.

[torchwoodteaboy]

Ianto made a face as he tried to imagine eating fermented anything. "It sounds lovely, really," he said, sarcastically. He took another long drink of his ale as well, almost already halfway finished with the second pint. "Makes you wonder whoever came up with an idea to eat something like that. You're right, though. At least I like laverbread," he said, with a smile. He wasn't going to mention jellied eels--those were disgusting, and anyway, they were technically English, not Welsh, even if they did serve them at some places in Wales as well.

He smiled and blushed some more at Sulu's agreeing to his statement. "Well, then," he said. "I... I guess that means that I'll just have to keep picking the right drinks for you, then. To keep you coming back, and all." He played with his glass, keeping his eyes to the table. "And yeah. With the portkey, it... It should be easier to do things like this. At least, the getting here part, anyway. It can work in reverse, too, although like I said before, you'd probably have to swing by and pick me up, that way."

[parked]

Sulu kept the fact that he enjoyed Durian ice cream and ginger candies to himself, since explaining what a Durian was would definitely make him seem pretty crazy. Then again, sometimes his own family thought he was crazy, and not just for the kinds of foods he liked, so.

"I wouldn't be opposed to picking you up to take you to the ship," Sulu said mildly, smiling at Ianto even as the other avoided eye-contact. It was a little strange for Sulu, who was used to people looking him in the eyes when they talked to him, mostly because that was how it worked in Starfleet. You kept your eyes on each other, so you wouldn't miss anything. Ancient Japanese culture found it offensive, sure, but Sulu really wasn't from the 21st century, despite all the things that still "technically" applied.

"We'd just have to find you a uniform to get you so you could come around incognito. It wouldn't be too hard, actually. But," he laughed, "You can't really go out to eat on a starship." He thought it over, "Though, next time we get some shoreleave, it might be fun."

[torchwoodteaboy]

"No, you can't go out to eat on a starship," Ianto said, "but you can eat in. You have offered to take me to the recreation room and see what that's like, after all." Ianto fiddled with his napkin, eating a couple of chips and trying to plan out what he wanted to say exactly at that moment.

"You know, you wouldn't have to do anything special for me or anything, yeah? I mean. I've taken you out shopping, yes, but. I mean, we've gone over to mine and eaten soup before. It's not like that was some sort of grandiose dinner reservation or anything like that. I mean, even this place," Ianto said, motioning to the establishment around them, "is only really special because...well, of the occasion and all," he finished, blushing, embarrassed that he'd say something like that.

"Although..." he indulged himself a little bit, finally looking up at Sulu. "Did you say 'the next time you get shoreleave'? As in...inviting me to a foreign planet...that type of shoreleave?" Somehow Ianto didn't think that they stopped by the Earth in the Enterprise until they were done with their mission, which meant that... It had to be a foreign planet that Sulu was talking about, right?

[parked]

Sulu had offered to take Ianto around the Enterprise, and in all honesty, he really liked the idea. It'd be nice to show Ianto the places he'd only really seen once, and maybe to show off a little of his commanding abilities when it came to telling ensigns what to do. He always seemed to be following Ianto's lead, whether because they were in Ianto's century or his workplace, and he wanted to try his hand at being the leader one of these days.

He smiled at Ianto's question, examining a prawn with much nonchalance. "Well, yeah. I mean I thought you might like to visit one of the places we get to visit as Starfleet officers. I'll definitely have to find you some kind of uniform, though, since I can't exactly bring non-personnel onto an alien planet." He shrugged, "I mean. If you wanted to, that is."

[torchwoodteaboy]

"'If you wanted to'..." Ianto repeated, incredulously. "Are you kidding me? Of course I'd want to. I'd love to. I mean. How many times in my life am I going to get an opportunity to travel...travel the world, much less to another planet. I mean," Ianto said, shaking his head and laughing a little. "I haven't even been to America yet. To... To be able to go to another planet..."

He shook his head, really not believing that Sulu had even offered, much less the fact that he was serious about it too. "You're right about the uniform, though. I mean. I'll probably stand out as it is, with all the gaping and general disbelief of actually being there, a uniform to help blend in would be preferred. Although," he said, cocking his head and smiling at Sulu, gently though, to show that he wasn't poking fun where fun shouldn't be poked, "I'd generally prefer it if you picked a planet to show me where there wouldn't be things running around, trying to eat me. No space bears if you can help it, yeah?"

[parked]

Sulu had known from the start that Ianto would jump at the opportunity to see another planet; he'd known it from the moment he'd first shown the other man the bridge, several months ago, before a date was even an option. He grinned at Ianto's ultimatums and his concerns, almost not noticing that he was actually thinking to himself, I could really get used to this. Where the this was Ianto, and getting used to things for Sulu meant that he was thinking of something long-term. Longer than he'd thought of before this had all started.

It was a little shocking, actually, to think that so suddenly - not only that, but to not even really notice he was thinking it at first, because it just seemed so right for the situation. He chewed his lip, then realized what he was doing and smiled instead, shaking his head. "No, I promise," he said finally, "No space bears or anything. I'll keep an eye out for the perfect planet, and we can steer clear of the other officers so you won't have to hide any gaping."

[torchwoodteaboy]

Ianto noticed the pause that Sulu gave before he answered him, but with the alcohol softening his reactions to everything, he didn't really think too much of it. "I'm intrigued as to what might make the sort of planet that you would call 'the perfect planet' for me visiting, but I'll leave all the guessing for now and just see where this takes us, yeah? I mean. The human race in the 21st century doesn't even technically know that there's other life out there, so. I have very little idea as to what another planet would even be like."

He smiled, laughing a bit. "I'd appreciate that. If we could steer clear of the other officers. I mean, as much as you can. I understand that we wouldn't be able to just wander off on our own, for the most part." He ate some more of the food on the platter. They were slowly but surely making work of the pile of it all. "It's just that. Being to another planet is going to be exciting. I. I don't think that I'll really be able to keep myself from being a complete idiot about the whole experience, really."

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"Depending on the planet, we usually get free range. Everyone has their own idea of a good time, after all." Sulu shrugged and picked up an onion ring, looking at it for a bit before munching it down. "We can do what we want, so long as it doesn't destroy anything. Some of the planets look pretty much like Earth - most don't, though." They all had healthy atmospheres for people used to Earth, though, which was a bonus. It would be awful to have vacation time and not be able to indulge yourself without a breathing apparatus.

It was nice to hear Ianto use "will" and "is going", though. It was a step up from the other man quietly questioning whether or not Sulu was telling the truth, that was for sure. It meant that the other really believed him, that he was going to take Ianto to an alien planet. ...He'd have to hide him from McCoy, probably, but still.

"I promise, I'll find the best planet to take you to," he said with a smile, looking at Ianto before biting into the onion ring in hand.

[torchwoodteaboy]

Ianto took a leisurely swig of his ale, moving to rest his chin on his hand as he did so, cocking his head to smile at Sulu. "I don't doubt it," he said, casually. "I have it on good authority that you're actually rather fond of having me around, and I don't think that losing me to space bears would be your idea of a good time, especially after your last mishap with them."

Maybe it was the alcohol again, but Ianto didn't even realize how much more optimistic he was being in this moment, and how he was actually really looking forward to this whole planet visit thing. He understood that it might not be for a while, but he was a patient man, he could wait. He also understood in turn that Sulu was assuring him that the two of them would still be...dating? together? whatever it was that they were in however much time that took and well. It was reassuring. Ianto colored at that thought, and yet found that he really couldn't stop smiling at it either.

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"Good authority?" Sulu asked, pretending to be bemused at the comment, "I didn't know there was a good authority on me. But, whoever they are, they got it right." He grinned at Ianto and leaned back a little, gulping down some of his drink.

His thoughts were actually closely following Ianto's at this point, though he wasn't making an effort to follow them - he was assuming that there would be more dates; that there would be more to this than just a few meetings and some hand-holding. He couldn't help but assume that, though - he liked spending time with Ianto, talking with him and just being around him, so it made sense in his mind to continue making contact whenever he could.

"I just hope that we get a chance to hit up a new planet soon. I could use the vacation - you know, more than I get when I'm with you."

[torchwoodteaboy]

Ianto rolled his eyes (gently, though, because he didn't mean it, not really), feeling that he didn't need to mention the fact that the good authority that he had on Sulu was no one else other than Sulu himself, and the comment that he'd said earlier that night about enjoying the current company.

"I hope that you get a vacation soon as well," Ianto said, playing with a chip. "God knows you need one. I mean, I don't think that your time spent sentenced to bed rest counts exactly, certainly not as a vacation." The truth of the matter was, Ianto could do with a little vacation himself. He hadn't had one in... Longer than he'd joined the community, really. "How often do you guys come upon a new planet and get shore leave to go exploring or vacationing like that, anyway?" he asked, curious.

[parked]

Sulu wasn't even sure he was very good at knowing what he wanted, but he meant it all in good humor anyway, so it hardly made much of a difference.

"Bed rest never counts as a vacation, not when you're dealing with a CMO like Dr. McCoy," Sulu laughed, shaking his head, "He knows how to make you want to get back to work, that's for sure." He frowned at the question, considering it; it wasn't nearly as often as some would think, but it wasn't something they necessarily planned on.

"It really depends. Our mission is one of exploration and discovery, so we're often in areas where we have no idea what's out there. Usually we do some preliminary scans to make sure that there's an atmosphere that we can breathe, send out an away team, check for life - those kinds of things." He grinned and winked, "Pavel and I sometimes keep an eye out for planets that might be good for a vacation to suggest them to Kirk."

[torchwoodteaboy]

Ianto laughed along with him. "No, it didn't really count as vacation with a doctor like Owen, either. The two of them honestly sound kind of similar. Getting you better with excellent medicinal practices and tough love, as it is," he said with a fond smile. For all that he didn't get along with Owen sometimes, he had to admit that the other man had been a damned good doctor, and he probably owed his life to him more than once.

"Well, then," he responded, winking back at Sulu, "you'll just have to keep your eye out again for one that fits the bill of something you'd be interested in showing me. I don't think that your crew would mind that sort of thing, especially the other officers that were stranded with you on the last mission. Everyone could use a little vacation every now and again, surely your captain is aware of that, and all." Okay, yes. Ianto was excited about the idea of visiting a foreign planet. He couldn't help it, the very idea of it all was just... Him, Ianto Jones, from an estate house in Newport of all places, getting to travel the stars, even if it was only once and to only one place. Even still.

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"It seems like there's some kind of rule about doctors," Sulu laughed, "The head one always has to be gruff and willing to jab hyposprays in your neck as punishment." He knew that he was dating himself a bit with that remark, but it seemed far fetched that a doctor in the 21st century would use needles the way 23rd century doctors used hypos. Still, hopefully Ianto wouldn't mind.

Sulu smiled and couldn't keep the flirtatious tone out of his voice. "I'll keep watch for somewhere that will make my life more appealing. After all, I need to keep you interested; if I don't, you might just dump me." Which, Sulu suddenly realized, implied that this was more than just one date. He was expecting so much more out of this than he had previously thought, and he was starting to get a little nervous about that - what if Ianto wasn't expecting that much from it, in the end?

[torchwoodteaboy]

Ianto shook his head at Sulu's suggestion of him dumping him, or even having to try to keep him interested. "Really, now," Ianto said, with a smile, "you'd hardly have to even try to keep me entertained. I mean, we're, what. We're just sitting at a regular old pub in the city I live in on a Saturday night, talking to each other over dinner, and well. I'm having a great time of it," he said. And alright, yes, he might have blushed a little at that statement as well, after the fact. He hadn't realized how it would sound until he'd actually said it aloud.

"I. Don't worry," Ianto said, and despite the alcohol in his system, he still couldn't keep himself from sounding a little timid as he spoke. "I have a tendency to cling on to people, if they let me," he said, trying to keep his voice light, but also hinting that yes, in fact. He would rather enjoy it if, well. If this was more than just a date. More than just a handful of dates, really, which scared him a little, but there it was, and he was going to be as honest and open about this feeling as he could, considering it was in his nature to hide things from other people.

[parked]

Sulu laughed softly at that, looking away briefly at Ianto's statement. It was good that he was enjoying himself; though he imagined they always had a good time when they hung out, it was reassuring to know that in a distinctly more-than-platonic situation, they could still enjoy each other's company. "I'm glad I'm not messing up, at least."

Pausing for a moment, Sulu finally reached over and put his hand over Ianto's, looking him in the eye. "I definitely don't mind any clinging you might want to do," he said, smiling, "I'd go so far as to say I'd encourage it."