There were times Jack was glad to return to the cold, damp, cavernous, echoing Hub that had been his "home" for years. It had been a long, tiring day of chasing some damn alien that giggled and sped off every time they got close. Jack had to admit he probably traumatized the puckish little thing when he grabbed it by the neck and roared at it to get the hell off his planet.
But now he was home and, having parked the SUV beside Ianto's Audi, he knew there was a sharp-dressed hug and a coffee-scented kiss waiting for him somewhere in the old place. Maybe it would be a good night for a takeaway, Jack considered, heading up toward his office to shrug off his coat and go find his gorgeous lover.
Jack found Ianto sooner than he thought, though. The young man sat on the tatty old couch, looking disconsolate. Jack couldn't remember the last time Ianto had looked that miserable, at least not since he'd taken a few weeks bereavement leave….
"Yan?" Jack said carefully, not wanting to startle him.
Ianto looked up red eyes and a tear-stained face. For a second, Jack was too scared to step forward. Whatever it was had to be pretty bad.
"Yan… what is it?" Jack asked, reminding himself that he could only fix what he knew about.
Ianto just sniffed and shook his head mournfully as Jack sat beside him.
"C'mon, babe. Talk to me?" Jack coaxed, wrapping his arm around Ianto, who sniffed again and turned into Jack's embrace, burying his face against Jack's coat collar.
"It's dead," Ianto mumbled, his voice already choked and further muffled by Jack's coat.
Jack's blood ran a bit cold and he didn't really want to consider what could be dead. He had to know, though, he was the leader after all…. "What is, Yan? C'mon, sweetheart, let me help?" he asked, stroking Ianto's back until he felt Ianto begin to relax against him.
"The coffeemaker…," Ianto whispered raggedly. "Dead. It… it was my friend."
Jack took a deep breath. "Oh, Ianto…," he whispered, holding his lover closer. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry."