Authors Note: Hey! Chapter 3 XD So please be nice XD Please tell me what you think, I would love to know XD Thank you SO much to those who have reviewed so far and also to those following this or have favourited this XD You guys are amazing XD I own nothing and no one apart from the following: Steffan. Please review XD

Chapter 3

Ianto

So last night's practice didn't go exactly to plan. However, this morning – Wednesday, June 18th 2008 – I just had to pretend like nothing happened. Nothing at all. That would be a little difficult. It would be even harder, since I was always the first one – bar Jack – in the Hub, meaning Jack and I would be alone for an hour or two. Fantastic. I tried to walk in with a blank expression like I normally did. It was made difficult by the fact jack was standing by the kitchen door. I had it built a few months back, finding to easier than just having that tiny coffee machine upstairs. At least it meant I had somewhere else I could hide out. But not this morning.

"Morning, sir." I nodded as I walked past him, through the kitchen door.

I walked straight to the coffee machine, turning it on so I could get a head start on making the coffee. I hoped that Jack would just leave it and go upstairs to his office; it would be easier if he did. But no. He walked into the kitchen and leant backwards with his back to the counter beside me. I forced myself to concentrate on what I was doing and not on the man beside me. Though I could practically feel him staring at me. I knew I could definitely feel my face heat up. I stood there, glaring at the coffee machine as it set about doing most of the work in making the coffee, not giving in to glance at Jack.

"Ianto, what's going on with you?" Jack asked.

"What do you mean, sir?" I asked, continuing to keep my gaze on the coffee machine.

"Well, for starters you keep calling me 'sir'. Whatever happened to you calling me 'Jack'?"

I kept quiet. I didn't want to tell him, or anyone, why I was acting differently. Yes, I knew why...but that didn't mean I wanted Jack to know. Though I didn't see a way out of it now, which I didn't like.

"Ianto, come on, tell me." Jack said, quietly.

I bit my lower lip. I really didn't know how to start this. God, I didn't know how to start this and I really didn't want to. Thankfully a muffled shout came from the main area of the Hub. I could tell it was Tosh, though she was very early. On top of that, the coffee machine beeped, signalling that the coffee was done. Jack sighed, noticing that I had gotten out of this without saying a word, but I could tell that he wasn't going to let it go that easily. But he didn't say anything. Instead, Jack pushed himself away from the counter and made his way out into the Hub. I stood there for a second, motionless, before taking a breath and taking down five mugs from the cupboards, setting two aside for when Owen and Gwen walked in later.


Owen and Gwen appeared in the Hub at half ten, as usual. Knowing this, their coffee was already sitting on their desks in the usual mugs. I had spent my time before they entered the hub down in the Archives and all my work down there was done, and I had nothing to do up in the Tourist office, since it was 'closed' for the day. So I had nothing to do. At all. I ended up going into the kitchen, and that was where I had been ever since. I was sat at the small table that had been placed in the kitchen, leaning back in the chair, contemplating on whether to tell Jack what actually was going on...or whether I should just lie through my teeth. Of course he would know if I was lying. I don't know how, but he just always seemed to know. I sighed, running my hands over my face and through my hair.

"You alright, Ianto?" Tosh asked.

I looked towards the door to find my friend standing by it. I smiled slightly.

"Yes, I'm fine, Tosh." I replied. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." Tosh replied, not looking or sounding very convinced. "What's wrong?"

"It's silly, really."

"Ianto, it doesn't matter, you can tell me. It's what friends are for."

I sighed again, sitting up properly, resting my elbows on the table. Tosh sat down at the table next to me, waiting patiently for me to start talking.

"Just...don't tell Jack." I said.

"Ok...I won't." Tosh agreed.

Taking a deep breath, I launched into my explanation.


Telling Tosh what was going on inside my head, though I do like my privacy, it really helped. Out of the team I was closer to her and Jack, so if I could tell Tosh I should be able to tell Jack. Right? The more I thought about it, the more I doubted it. But I had to tell him at some point, otherwise I'd end up hurting us both. Well...probably me more than Jack, because I was sure he just saw what we used to do as just a casual shag every now and then, and he would just bounce onto someone else. It was three in the afternoon now, and I was working on the next batch of coffee, this time adding in hazelnut and caramel. I mean, why not? It was fun experimenting. I used to do a lot of experimenting with coffee in college, university and at Torchwood One. I liked finding new combinations to try out, and sometimes spent a little bit of time at home trying them out. So that's why, today, I was trying out hazelnut and caramel. When I had the four mugs on the tray, I set about handing them all out. Tosh and Gwen were first on my way round, shortly followed by Owen.

"Ianto, how do you do it?" I heard Gwen ask, as I started up the stairs to Jack's office.

"That's a secret." I called over my shoulder, smiling slightly to myself.

"Of course it is, tea boy. Of course it is." I heard Owen mutter.

Though I had carried coffee up the stairs hundreds of thousands of times, I still stared at the mug intently, making sure I didn't end up spilling it everywhere, creating a mess and scorching myself with the hot liquid. It was a habit I had picked up from when I was five, after I saw my older brother Steffan spill way-too-hot hot chocolate over his hand. We had to take him to A and E to get it looked at. Since then, when carrying anything hot, I always watched it carefully when I walked anywhere, just in case. When I finally reached the top of the stairs and the door to Jack's office, I knocked on it gently. I heard a grunt as a response. Taking a breath, I walked in. I left the door open as I walked in, placing the mug on the desk in front of Jack. He didn't look up when I came in, just continued to glare at the paperwork in front of him. I started to walk back out again.

"Ianto." Jack said, quietly.

I paused, closing my eyes tightly before turning around, opening them to look at him.

"Yes, sir?" I asked, neutrally.

"We need to talk at some point." Jack told me, lifting his head up. "Now, if possible."

I knew what he was talking about. Worriedly I glanced out of the widows in Jack's office looking over the Hub, before turning my gaze back to Jack. He seemed to know what I was thinking. He nodded and looked back down at the paperwork in front of him, but only for a second. Jack returned his gaze to me, this time less...boss-like.

"Tonight when they others have all left, or tomorrow morning before everyone gets in?" Jack asked.

I sighed. I had no choice.

"Either is fine, sir." I replied, quietly, before leaving.

Well, it would be 'fun' explaining this.


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