Disclaimer: It all belongs to RTD. I have a cat that drools. You don't want that, do you?
"You shouldn't be here."
"Neither should you, sir."
"That's different. I live here. You're just showing a dedication to your work that has me questioning your sanity." Jack brushes off the question.
"You live here, sir?" Ianto is surprised Jack hadn't found Lisa earlier. If he lived at the Hub, that would explain how he was the first to arrive every day, when by all rights, Ianto should have been, since he had to arrive early to see Lisa.
"It works. Please tell me you aren't that determined to make coffee."
"No, I was sorting through that heap Owen keeps leaving on his desk, and I got carried away." He gestures to the impeccably tidy desk the Ianto knows he had previously been certain was a garbage heap. "I was looking for mugs, sir." He adds quickly.
"Ianto, is there anything you won't use that excuse for?" Jack slides easily into the innuendo.
"Actually, the mess was bothering me. I believe it was starting to smell, sir." He stands awkwardly as Jack shifts, catching himself from looking ridiculous. Privately, Ianto likes the fact that he alone can catch the Captain off-guard.
"Ianto, you don't need to clean up Owen's mess."
Ianto sighs slightly, almost imperceptably. "It's not like he'll ever tidy it himself, sir."
"Ianto," Jack states, "You hold far more leverage over the hub, than you know. For one thing, your coffee is addictive."
"It's a bit disappointing to be remembered for my coffee, sir." Honestly, Ianto isn't even sure for a second that he said that aloud. It must be the late hour getting to him, because he's usually better at hiding his thoughts. Much better, since he just said that.
"Then why the hell do you take such pride in it?"
"I don't, sir. I just do it."
Jack seems to want conflict. "Which is why you get here so ridiculously early every morning, throw on the coffee and have it laid out for us, even now that Lisa's dead. Because you hate making the coffee."
"I didn't say I hated it, sir, I said that it isn't very pleasing just to be the tea-boy." He's already gone off on this track, so Ianto figures there's no use in trying to change the subject.
Jack seems to think for a minute, picking up a pen and fiddling with it as he thinks. "Come," He says at last, "Let me make you some coffee."
AN: Reviews are good!