Three weeks after Jack had left a soft sight could be heard from the darkness in his office. The little lights from the computers below were all the light in the hub tonight. To Ianto however the hub had never been more alive. He sat in Jacks chair while relishing in memories. The glass of scotch in his hand half empty by now. Ianto often strived to look happy and positive in front of the others, but within himself he could not help but to see that the world was half empty.
The small green light on Tosh's desk signalized that her computer was locked, but not off. Ianto smiled softly. How many times had he not walked over to her desk before leaving for the night and noticed it was still on. By the end of tiresome days such small details were often forgotten. To night Ianto had not wanted to turn it of for her, the little blinking light was soothing.
When he closed his eyes he could see her tapping furiously at the keyboard tracking the latest threat. She'd nod and give a shy thanks when she received her morning coffee before getting back to work. Gwen would walk by for any words on what was happening. Her heels clicking as she stomped around anxiously looking for something to do. Eventually she might go to bother their doctor some. Opening his eyes he quickly searched out the little corner with a sickbed. The corner had been used for everything from interrogations to dissections. This was Owen's private little kingdom.
Ianto closed his eyes again as he watched the doctor scampering about muttering about lack of proper tools and space. When Ianto came over with his coffee Owen would take it without a word and continue his work. He could get vividly engrossed in his work, many could see it as not caring, but Ianto had always seen it as true dedication. This was something he admired about the doctor. He opened his eyes and took a sip from his bitter drink. The burning in his throat was something he had gotten used to after all the occasions of sharing Jack's bottles. Ianto had learned quickly after meeting him that besides his coffee, this was Jack's favorite drink. They would often sit in the hub after the team had left for the day, have some drinks and talk. Of course this was usually followed by more intimate activities. These memories always gave Ianto a slight blush, but now he was certain the alcohol had something to do with it as well.
Another sip made Ianto realize he could no longer taste the drink. The bitterness still stuck to his mouth, but else how there were no taste at all. Ianto was never one for drama; such things were kept inside for later consideration. So this night, these drinks, were his own private farewell party. He was relishing in the past because soon it would all be gone. He would inform the team tomorrow, everything else had already been taken care of. Ianto had come to greatly appreciate his time with Torchwood, but after all the pain, he was tired.
He had loved, twice. The first had died and the grief had been dreadful. The second had left without a word. Ianto knew many things; after all it was his job. It hadn't taken him long to figure out to whom Jack had gone. Ianto couldn't help but to feel a bit betrayed over the sudden wordless departure. Although he knew he had no right, after all Jack deserved love, a love that would not die on him. What was worse than these feelings was the sadness; He had lost the love of his life, also twice. Theses weren't the only reasons he was choosing to leave though. Friends and civilians had been killed before his eyes. Death was something he was becoming accustomed to and he hated that, one should never be able to shrug of murder like it was nothing. His family was always kept at a distance, which after all had been necessary with this job. The job was also quite time consuming and he rarely found time for anything else. Therefore friend outside the team had become nearly impossible. In the end of the day all Ianto was, all he had was Torchwood. So at the moment he considered his glass half empty. One he desperately craved to be full again.
Ianto pored down the remainder of his drink in a few quick gulps before standing from Jack's chair. The room was spinning around him letting him know he had had a few to many drinks tonight. There was no way he'd make it home, so he did what he had done on some occasions in the past. Although in the past, he used to have company. As he leaned down and opened the hatch to Jack's little bunker he allowed memories of the older man to flood his mind. The bright blue eyes always filled with mischief and the smirk on his lips that appeared when he was scheming. Jack could plot like a master and when he did his eyes were always so full of life. The big coat Jack was so attached to that it almost seemed like a part of his body. The heavy coat had always held a scent Ianto knew only as Jack. As soon as Ianto had made it into the little man cave he let himself fall straight down on the bed. Jack wouldn't mind him staying here for the night, after all he was gone and who knew when or if he was coming back. Before he succumbed to sleep Ianto briefly let himself wonder if Jack would notice. If he came back, would he recognise Ianto's scent, as Ianto did his?
