Title: Captain’s call
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 898 words
Content notes: None
Author notes: Written for Challenge 450 - Deck
Summary: Jack has given himself a promotion that could end up ruffling feathers.


Ianto stepped up onto the deck of the USS Calvin, needing to jostle his way past a bevy of UNIT personnel in their navy-esque uniforms. Jack must be in his element, Ianto thought wryly. Amazing it hadn't devolved into one large sex party yet.

He gripped at a rope-coiled beam as the ship lurched under a gently rolling sea. Still haven't got your sea legs yet, Jones, he reminded himself, just grateful for the fact that he hadn't been seasick. He'd even impressed himself by managing to keep down two eggs and toast after a fitful few hours on a rack that was even smaller than Jack's cot back at the hub. Well, at least he'd had plenty of practice sleeping in cramped conditions. It was less the confined spaces that worried him than it was the idea of being a few hundred miles from land with no other ships on the horizon. He'd never been a big fan of being out on open water.

Jack caught the movement from the corner of his eye and turned his head to smile. ‘Ah, Ianto. Welcome to the bridge.’ Jack of course didn't appear sleep deprived. It was slightly unfair that anyone could be so bright eyed and bushy tailed after flying all the way from Cardiff to Tokyo, followed by ten hours on this giant tub, trying to eke out a few hours rest until they reached their location at the deepest part of the Mariana Trench. Of course, that wasn't the end of it. There'd be a trip down to the bottom in a tin can supposedly designed to survive the pressure that those depths. Ianto was doing his level best not to think about that for now. The only thing worse than open water was being deep under it.

‘How long until we reach coordinates?’ Jack asked, turning his attention briefly to the ship’s navigator.

‘Two hours and twelve minutes, Admiral.’

Jack nodded. ‘Good. Maintain course and speed.’

Ianto rolled his eyes as he moved close enough to be able to speak one on one with Jack without being overheard by a half dozen sailors. ‘An admiral?’ Ianto asked, coming to look out over the deck of the UNIT vessel watching it powering its way through the Pacific Ocean. ‘Really?’

‘Keep it down,’ Jack hissed. ‘You'll start people asking questions.’

Ianto arched an eyebrow. ‘Shouldn't they? Last I checked you hadn't been promoted.’

There was an eye roll from Jack. ‘I've been hanging out for one since 1942. I was overdue.’

‘You're air force, not navy,’ Ianto reminded him. ‘Even your air force credentials are sketchy. Not to mention stolen.’

‘You wanna keep saying that out loud?’ Jack cleared his throat. ‘Can I have the bridge for a moment to consult with Mr Jones?’

‘Yes sir, yes sir,’ came a dozen replies, each of them filtering down to lower decks to leave them alone.

Jack gave Ianto a grin. ‘C'mon, who would you rather have in charge? Me or some stuffy UNIT captain?’

‘Preferably someone who can steer the ship,’ came the deadpan response.

Jack shrugged off Ianto’s concerns. ‘Don't need to know that, Ianto. That's what we have a crew for.’

‘Lucky for us. I had to share a cabin with them. Have you any idea how much navy men snore?’ He held up a hand before Jack could respond. ‘No, forget I asked that.’ Jack probably had more. Experience in that department that Ianto wanted to know about.

‘Hey, admirals get their own private quarters but it's still a bed for one.’

‘Never stopped us before.’

‘Gotta keep up appearances.’

‘Yes, because that's all they are, after all.’

Jack didn't let Ianto put him off. ‘Aren't you impressed to have an admiral for a boyfriend? Or are you keeping your distance so as to impress Carly?’ Jack quirked his own eyebrow at Ianto. ‘Should I be worried?’

Ianto felt a growing heat in his cheeks. He'd avoided that topic for the entire flight by pretending to be engrossed in his magazines, books, movies, and by purchasing enough snacks to keep Jack's mouth occupied for the remainder of their journey. ‘There's nothing to worry about. Carly and I are over. Not sure we were ever a thing to begin with.’

‘Oh? I find that hard to imagine.’ Jack smirked. ‘She's quite attractive. You two would make a cute couple.’

‘This isn't about my love life,’ Ianto said, getting defensive. ‘This is about you getting found out. I shudder to think what Cudlow is going to do when he finds out.’

‘He's not going to,’ Jack emphasised. ‘Unless someone blabs.’ Jack cocked his head to one side. ‘Who might that be, do you think?’

‘I can't imagine.’ Ianto surely wasn’t about to risk an absolute bollocking from UNIT for Jack’s overreach.

Jack nodded. ‘Good. Just enjoy being up on deck with the big man in charge.’

‘And if I don't, are you going to have me topless and swabbing the deck down below?’

‘I was considering it.’ Judging by the expression on Jack’s face, he was already dreaming up mental images.

‘Not sure how that's any different to any other day,’ Ianto replied. ‘I'm always swabbing decks around the hub.’

‘Not topless you aren't. Maybe I need to start making that an order, huh?’

‘It's work, not pleasure, Captain.’

‘Admiral! And don't you forget it, Midshipman Jones.’