Ianto languidly opened the door to his flat, clad only in a loose, open shirt and his boxers. He sleepily gazed across the figure who leaned against his doorframe and sighed as he recognised him.

"Morning!" grinned Jack happily. His eyes glazed across Ianto's chest before moving up to meet his face. Ianto walked away from his front door, leaving it open as an invitation for Jack. Jack took it and came in, closing the door after him and following Ianto into his kitchen.

"Coffee?" asked Ianto, switching on his kettle and throwing teaspoons of instant into mugs, "Instant'll have to do I'm afraid," he said.

"You actually own instant coffee?!" asked Jack incredously, a playful grin on his face.

"Why are you here?" asked Ianto blandly, facing his boss with a blank face.

"I... I'm worried.. About you," said Jack honestly, reaching out to clasp Ianto's hand. Ianto snatched it out of Jack's reach and turned to pour water into the mugs.

"I don't need your sympathy," he said.

"But I want to give it!" exclaimed Jack, reaching out to steady Ianto's shaky hand on the milk bottle, "I want to... Help,"

Ianto gulped inwards as Jack's hand wrapped around his and this time, he didn't snatch it away.

"Please Ianto, let me help you, I want to help you... So please, just let me," insisted Jack softly in Ianto's ear as he took Ianto's other hand into his own. Ianto guided the milk back to the worktop with shivery breaths. His hanging head slowly nodded.

"Okay," breathed Jack, slowly guiding Ianto away from the kitchen worktop and out of the kitchen itself. His hands were curled around Ianto's as he moved the man through the living room and into his bedroom, gently pushing him into his bed and wrapping the duvet across his fine limbs.

"Sleep," whispered Jack, stroking his hair before moving away from the bed and slipping silently from the room.


2 hours later Ianto awoke, only to find Jack staring at him from the armchair opposite his bed.

"You've been here the whole time?" asked Ianto, slowly sitting upwards. Jack smiled slightly.

"No... I went back to the Hub for a bit. Everyone's really concerned," he said. A quiet laugh escaped from Ianto.

"Owen? Concerned?" he said, clearly disbelieving. Jack laughed too.

"Maybe not everyone," A slow silence followed, in which Jack carefully studied Ianto.

"I...I'm scared," admitted Ianto suddenly, looking across his bed in something like shame.

"Why? Why are you scared Ianto?" asked Jack, noticing the tension in Ianto's jawline at such an admittance of emotion.

"I dunno... It's stupid I guess,"

"Tell me... Tell me why,"

"Those... People!" spat Ianto with a shiver, "They... They almost..."

"Yeah I know," said Jack, getting up to sit next to a shivering Ianto, "I know what almost happened Yan, and you shouldn't be ashamed to say it scared you," he said softly.

"It's not that... It's the outside. What if the guy at the till in Tesco's is like them? Or that woman reading in the library?" asked Ianto fearfully. Jack smiled gently.

"They aren't, Ianto, they aren't anything to be afraid of!"

"I did tell you it was silly!"

"It isn't silly. Thankfully you can stay at home, with no one else around to bother you," Jack tightened his grip slightly.

"But that makes it worse. The silence or the droning TV. Jumping when the postman comes," said Ianto, looking up at Jack, "let me come back. Let me go back to work," begged Ianto, wide eyed with hope.

"I... I can't!" whispered Jack quietly, closing his eyes so he wouldn't have to look at Ianto.

"Please!" begged the Welshman, "Just let me be around you guys, I won't work... I just want the company," he said, clutching onto Jack's arm like a small child. Jack opened his eyes and looked into Ianto's reading the deep, dark fear in them.

"Okay," he agreed finally, squeezing Ianto's arms gently, "you get dressed... I'll be in the living room," he smiled. Jack climbed out of Ianto's grasp and began to leave the room when Ianto called out.

"Jack?" he called, causing him to turn, "Thank you," he said, a warm smile bleeding from him. Jack nodded and smiled back before leaving the room and shutting the door behind him.


"You okay?" asked Tosh with her usual caring smile. Ianto gave a weak nod and gratefully accepted her friendly hug. Owen gave him a small nod and Gwen barely gave him a glance, yet Ianto was thankful for even the small nods of company. He immediately moved for his coffee machine, making the group their own individual favourites out of simple habit. He delivered each of them; Gwen's latte with chocolate sprinkles, Tosh's simple americano, Owen's cappuccino with extra cream and finally Jack's industrial strength black Java. He delivered Jack's last, going into his office and closing the door behind him.

"Ah Ianto! Thank you!" grinned Jack, putting down his pile of papers, "You feeling any better?" he asked.

"Much thanks!" smiled Ianto, going to sit opposite Jack with his own mocha.

"Good," said Jack taking a small sip, "This is good too!"

"Being on sick leave doesn't suddenly make me unable to make coffee!" exclaimed Ianto, suddenly offended.

"Yet you threatened to make a cup of instant earlier!" pointed out Jack, taking another sip. Ianto nodded, now that he couldn't argue with. The two continued to sit in Jack's office for a while, contently drinking their different coffees. Owen opened the door to Jack's office and gave the two men funny looks before looking at Jack.

"UNIT's on the phone," he grumbled, flicking through the file in his hands before placing it on Jack's desk. Ianto didn't move, only looked at the file like it was incriminating.

"I'll just... Uh... Go..." said Owen, slowly backing from the room and closing the door behind him before dashing away from the office.

"You should answer the phone," suggested Ianto, catching Jack's intense stare. A nod came from the older man and he carefully set his mug down on a pile of papers, causing Ianto to immediately jump up and find a coaster to place under it. A smile spread across Jack's face as he picked up the phone.

"Captain Jack Harkness speaking," he said into it. Ianto watched him for a few seconds before weakly smiling and leaving the room too. He headed through the main part of the Hub only to be stopped by Gwen.

"How's Jack?" she asked, "Nicely filled eh?" Suspicion wreaked from her voice in every possible way. Ianto stared at her, trying to piece things together before realisation hit.

"What did Owen say?" he asked blankly. A snigger came from Owen's desk,

"Nothing!" he giggled, giving himself away completely.

"Hey!" said Gwen, clearly annoyed and punching Owen's upper bicep, "We believed you!"

"What? Jack and Teaboy?" Owen laughed again, "Please!" he clutched at his stomach melodramatically. Tosh gave Owen an annoyed shake of her head before gently smiling at Ianto. Ianto nodded in return before side-stepping the play-fighting Gwen and Owen and heading into the archives. Little did anyone know as Ianto disappeared and Tosh returned to her translation programme and Owen caught Gwen in a headlock... That Jack had been watching the whole time.