6. Hot Chocolate

"Well," said Ianto, setting a red mug in front Tosh that read Keep Calm - We're Torchwood. "That was certainly unexpected."

Tosh stared at the mug, wondering if she'd suffered brain damage when she'd been choked, or if Owen had slipped her too much of the good stuff. "So is this," she replied, holding up the mug with a skeptical look on her face. "Torchwood coffee mugs, Ianto? I thought the SUV was bad enough."

Ianto sat down across from her with a black and white mug that said Keep Calm and Fuck Off on it. He closed his eyes, took a long sip, and sighed happily. Or as happily as one could after being beaten by Welsh cannibals in the rural countryside. "Yvonne Hartmann, Torchwood Christmas party. Need I say more?"

"Nope," said Tosh, taking a drink from her own mug and almost exclaiming in surprise. It was definitely not coffee, and it was absolutely delicious. "Oh, that's perfect."

"Hot chocolate with a shot of Kahlua and topped off with Carolan's," Ianto replied, grinning into his cup. "It was that or hot chocolate with tequila, and I'm not feeling that adventurous."

"We probably shouldn't even be drinking," Tosh pointed out. "Not after the day we had."

"That's exactly why we should be drinking," Ianto replied, his smile disappearing. "If I didn't want to end up in the hospital, I'd drink the tequila straight."

"Oh, Ianto," she replied, setting down her mug and reaching for his hand across the kitchen table. "Are you all right?"

"Are you?" he asked, avoiding the question as he so often did. She sighed.

"Mentally or physically?" she asked. He raised an eyebrow.

"Both."

"Physically I'm fine, just bruised. Never been choked before." She smiled wanly at her poor attempt at humor. Ianto nodded in agreement.

"I've never been trussed up and tenderized for dinner before," Ianto offered. "First time for everything."

"And hopefully the last," Tosh murmured. She picked up her mug and sipped it slowly, savoring the comforting warmth. Ianto finished his and stood.

"Ready for more?" he asked. She shook her head and watched as he poured a generous proportion of liquor into his mug, with about half as much hot chocolate from the pan on the stove. Turning to find her staring at him, he shrugged.

"Hell of a day," he said. He grabbed a tin of biscuits from a cupboard and sat down again.

"What's with your mug?" asked Tosh, taking a chocolate biscuit and dunking it. Perfection. "There must be a story there too."

He smiled, a genuine heartfelt smile that still radiated sadness to his eyes. "We collected them, Lisa and I."

"Kitchy coffee mugs?"

"Yep." He gazed at some invisible memory behind her. "She started it with a Keep Calm and Ruck Over mug. It was not long after we'd started dating, and she thought it was so hysterically Welsh she couldn't resist. I think it was also a subtle dig at how much rugby I watched with some of the blokes at work."

"And it just grew from there?" she asked. He inclined his head toward one of the cupboards.

"I've still got about a dozen—I gave her Keep Calm and Love Wales in return, and got Keep Calm and Drink Tea, which she knew perfectly well I would never use—"

"—so of course you did," said Tosh, and he laughed.

"I did. Then it was Keep Calm and Go Shopping, Keep Calm and Join the Dark Side—she loved her tea—Keep Calm and Kiss Me. Each one more ridiculous than the last."

"So was the Torchwood mug really your idea then?" teased Tosh. Ianto gave her a look of mock-horror.

"Of course not! I can't even fathom why we have Torchwood stamped pencils and erasers."

Tosh looked at her mug and grinned again. "Jack would love it."

Ianto snorted. "No, his mug would say Keep Calm, I'm Captain Jack Harkness." His American accent was terrible, and they burst out laughing, but settled down quickly.

"He'd be right," said Tosh quietly. "He saved our lives." She glanced up and reached for Ianto's hand. "After you saved mine."

Ianto shook his head. "I didn't do anything. I just wanted you to get away, to be safe."

"Thank you," she whispered, the words choking in her throat. "I don't know what would have happened if you…if I…"

He stood quickly and came around the table to pull her into a warm embrace. "Don't think about it," he said. "It's over, we're here, we're safe. All right? Just don't think about it, because I don't want to think about it ever again.

She swallowed thickly and stepped back with a watery smile. "Keep Calm and Repress Everything?"

He nodded as he wiped a tear away then turned back toward the counter. "Exactly. I'll get you a mug. Ready for a second?" he asked.

"Absolutely," she said. "And Ianto…thank you."

"You're welcome, Tosh."

She sat down, looking forward to her next mug and determined to do exactly as Ianto said, at least for one night.