Work Text:
NO TIME TO DIE
Jack juggled an armful of food as he navigated the darkened theater, finding a spot in the back. Settling in, he put his drink in the seat holder and the popcorn in his lap.
He frowned at it; it was mocking him. He’d bought the huge tub. Way too much for one person.
Trying to push that train of thought from of his mind, Jack glanced around, watching the patrons filing in slowly, listening to the murmur of conversation. Everyone was looking forward to this one.
Ianto would have loved it.
Jack tried again to shove the thoughts down. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. It was going to be a brief stop on Earth, but when he’d heard this movie was playing he felt a compulsion to attend and honor Ianto’s memory.
All he had were memories.
They always picked a seat in the back, where they could neck like horny teenagers. If the movie was special, though, like this one, Ianto would have resisted. For this particular flick, his lover would have insisted on a seat up front and batted Jack’s hands away every time they came close.
The memories assaulted him until he could take it no longer. The movie was about to start, but he didn’t care anymore. Setting the popcorn down on the empty (empty) seat next to him, he stood up.
“Can’t leave yet,” a voice came out of the shadows. “I’ve heard this is going to be a good one.”
Jack froze. He choked out a brittle laugh; now, he was even having auditory hallucinations. Some Bond fan with a gorgeous Welsh accent just happened to take the seat next to him. If he turned his head, he would be faced with harsh reality…
He turned his head.
Sitting there was the only person he wanted to see, one he never thought to see again.
“You’re supposed to be dead!” Jack blurted. “How are you here?!”
Ianto snorted. “Are you kidding? Nothing in the universe is going to stop me from seeing Daniel Craig’s last Bond movie!” he scoffed. “You know I’ve always been partial.”
Jack sat back down. He wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. “That surprised me; I would have pegged you for a Connery purist.”
“Says the man whose favorite is Pierce Brosnan.”
“Hey, I’d been waiting for him to play bond ever since Remington Steele.” Jack picked up his abandoned tub and held it out towards his formerly dead date. “Popcorn?”
Ianto grabbed a handful and took the proffered serviette. Always careful about keeping his suits clean.
As the opening credits started, Jack reached over almost shyly and took Ianto’s hand. It was warm and solid, and the callouses were all in the right places. “You going to stick around for a while?” he dared whisper.
“What did you have in mind?” Ianto replied in the same hushed voice.
“You’ve missed a few Bond movies,” he answered. “We could find a nice quiet place to catch up.”
“Do you think I’ll manage to see a whole movie?” Ianto asked knowingly.
“Eventually. It may take several viewings.”
“This could take a while.”
“I’m counting on it.”
The end