Set just after Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. I thought that Jack couldn't have acted quite so unaffected from all that he'd been through recently - minor spoilers/hints of Doctor Who's Utopia, Sound of Drums and Last of the Time Lords and Torchwood's KKBB. Some Janto, mainly friendship. Ianto's POV.

I own nothing except the mistakes.

Just Another Day

When Jack had walked back into his life with a heroic entrance and a bullet between the eyes of blowfish, Ianto couldn't help but feel relieved. It was only later, after the incident with John Hart, when everyone else had gone home and he'd gone to give Jack his last coffee, that he'd noticed all the changes completely. Sure, he'd seen that Jack's manner was different, but he'd still been basically the same, all the innuendo and flirting and insincerity. Although there was that date...

Now, the day after, as Ianto watched Jack stare into his pile of paperwork, he wandered where Jack was really looking.

"Sir?" Ianto hadn't brought any coffee; he didn't want to give Jack an excuse to avoid the conversation.

Jack mock glared, but that only enhanced the dark circles that seemed to have taken up residence under his eyes. Ianto relented anyway; at least he was trying.

"Jack." He got a small smile in return: this one didn't seem as forced as the others did now; their once charismatic beams now strained and unwilling. Jack dragged his gaze back to the present – it looked to have been wandering again.

"Did you want something?" Past tense, Ianto noted; it was an almost subconscious hint that he wasn't wanted. This time it didn't seem quite so subconscious. He was meant to reply that it had been nothing, that it wasn't important and could wait if he was busy; Jack would give another forced grin and look down, pretending to do reports, signalling that he was busy, and that Ianto would do well to leave now, so he would.

But not today.

"Yes." Jack looked up but Ianto ploughed on before he could interrupt. "I want you-"

He interrupted anyway, leering. "Any other time, but right now I'm busy." He looked down again, but Ianto wasn't willing to give up that easily – especially if Jack wanted him to. Putting both knuckles on the desk he leaned on them, invading the Captain's personal space – not that he usually minded.

"No."

Jack leered again. "Steady on; I know I'm irresistible but-"

This time it was Ianto who interrupted.

"No Jack, I want you to stop hiding."

"I'm not hiding." The reaction was more automatic than heartfelt.

"Yeah?" he raised an eyebrow. "You haven't been out of your office all day."

"I have."

"Being dragged out by Owen doesn't count."

Usually Jack would pout at something like that; today he just sighed, un-protesting.

Ianto sighed too. "Jack..." he took his Captain's hand in his own, and set the pen in it down. The older man's eyes followed it.

"You can talk to me you know; or to Gwen, Tosh, even Owen. You don't have to be our great, unflappable leader all the time."

No reply: Jack was still staring at the pen. Ianto gracefully manoeuvred himself around the desk so he was perched on it next to his boss, never once letting go of his hand. Still holding on with one hand, he brought both of his own up to rest on Jack's cheeks. He looked...tired...older...

"How long were you gone for Jack?" He watched the older man try to remember how long Gwen had said. "And I know it wasn't just three months."

Jack sighed. "A year," his voice was barely a whisper. "But it felt so much longer..."

"What happened to you?"

Now that he'd forced Jack's head up, the furthest down he could look was at Ianto's tie, which he was doing religiously.

"I died, a lot...I watched as other people died – people I cared about; and I couldn't do anything."

Ianto was surprised that the Captain was opening up like this – especially to him. Upon closer inspection, he realised that Jack's eyes were actually glazed over, seeing much more than a blue striped tie. He probably wasn't conscious of the fact he was talking out loud.

"I felt so helpless and I..." Jack ran a hand over his jaw, and then through his hair. "Oh God..." he suddenly snapped once again to the present. "It wasn't nice, that's all you need to know."

Ianto almost growled – he'd got so far! Jack's face was still in his hands, and he made sure he was looking at him. "This isn't about me Jack; it's about you." Jack defiantly looked away. Ianto sighed; suddenly dropping his hands, stepped back and ran them once through his hair. "Fine. I was only trying to help." He paces to the doorway, turning back just before he left. "You need to stop this Jack, before someone gets hurt...or worse."

The floor vibrated with his angry footsteps as he stomped out of the hub; but he couldn't bring himself to care.

In his office, Jack started to cry.

Silently.

The next day things went back to normal. Ianto brought everyone coffee then retreated to the Archives, Tosh was bumbling happily over a new program she'd written, Gwen was chasing down leads on another case she'd taken a shine to, and Owen was cutting up some poor creature. And Jack was wondering around, depositing paperwork, charming grins and innuendo like a compulsive liar drops...well, lies.

Owen vaguely wondered what had happened when Jack volunteered himself for a check-up, but decided not to look this particular gift horse in the mouth; after all, poking Jack was fun.

A rift alert at midday left Ianto alone in the Hub, so he made his way upstairs to deliver and take away the filing – and to re-do Owen's. Deciding he needed a break, he set about making himself a coffee - something he did remarkably seldom.

Staring into space whilst sipping his coffee, he missed the first few rings of his phone.

"Ianto Jones speaking."

"Ianto, need you outside, bring the trolley."

"Yes sir."

Ianto sighed, looked regretfully at his perfect coffee, and followed orders.

He'd raised a couple of eyebrows at the scary looking monster Jack had ordered him to bring the trolley up for: although it looked scary it was only two foot tall, so Ianto hadn't understood the need for the trolley. However the eyebrows had quickly lowered once he'd tried to lift it – it had to weigh about half a tonne!

Once they'd loaded it up Gwen, Owen and Tosh had raced off to the showers – apparently the alien had had stink bombs with him – leaving Ianto alone with Jack for the first time since last night. A frosty silence had quickly descended.

Ianto was just about to wheel their catch away from the prying local eyes when a hand on one arm had stopped him. He turned to see Jack standing there with a pensive expression. A small smile flickered across the older man's face: a genuine smile.

"Ianto; thank you."

The smile transferred itself to his own face. He nodded briefly to show he understood.

"Your welcome...Jack."

This time the smile was wider – on both their faces.

~Fin

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