ATMOS PART FOUR
Ianto sighed in frustration. He had not had the most successful day on record, coming up with ideas to get them into the Rattigan Academy had not been as simple as he would have liked. He was good at inventing things, twisting the truth and manipulating the facts, but Rattigan was smart and Ianto knew that there was no easy way to fool their way into his school without drawing unwanted attention. So he devised his backup plan, which in his opinion was a far better one, though he was wondering just how well Jack was going to react to the idea. Rather apprehensively he bundled up his folder and wandered up to Jack's office and tapped on the door jamb before entering. Jack was at his desk, looking suspiciously like he was having a cat nap on the paperwork. Ianto hesitated by the door and coughed politely to get his attention before stepping in. Jack sat up looking a little mussed up and he offered up a bright grin, that spoke of 'caught in the act, but you're not about to tell on me are you?'. Ianto smiled back, very faintly, in a way that always made Jack look at the younger man much more closely.
"Ianto."
"Jack. I've sorted a cover story for myself and Tosh, it's not quite what we had in mind originally, but I think it will work better." He didn't sound overly confident as he sat down in the chair in front of Jack's desk. Jack stretched back in his seat like a cat and eyed up Ianto like he was the proverbial canary.
"So, blow me away."
Ianto did a double take, before deciding that that meant talk in Jackspeak. "Right. I don't think there's any way to convince Rattigan to 'invite' us in as students, he'll get suspicious straight away, so I thought we should pander to his ego."
"Go on."
"The boy is an arrogant upstart Jack who adores being the centre of attention. I know the BBC are trying to do a documentary news story on him and I spoke to Matt at the news desk and managed to convince him that Tosh would be going in on his behalf......"
Jack sat up .... "Whoa! Wait a minute, you talked to the Beeb about this?"
Here goes. Ianto nodded. "Matt's trustworthy Jack. I built up a good relationship with him whilst you were away; he's helped us out before. The point is, he can get us in as journalists, well Tosh as journalist me as camera man. Apparently Rattigan's all up for being on TV and Matt was in the process of finalising times and dates and hiring his team to go out there. I told him Tosh and I would do it and he'd get the story and some of the footage.... after we've checked it that is."
Jack was looking less convinced by the minute. "Tosh a journalist, yes, I get that, she'll know all the right questions to ask, but you as a camera operator?"
Ianto looked and felt rather offended. "Yes, believe it or not I can do more than make the bloody coffee, who the hell do you think documents everything around here, that does included filming things Jack."
Jack didn't even have the decency to look chastised, he was still sceptical and he waited for Ianto to continue.
"There's no other way of getting in through the front door, he's simply not recruiting anyone else, seems he has a full complement of genius'. And if we have to break in it won't give us nearly the amount of time or access that we need." Maybe logic would prevail.
It seems it did as Jack finally nodded, still not happy. "Ok, make it happen."
Ianto rose to his feet and faced Jack with a frown. "Do you not trust me to do this Jack?"
"I was hoping we could apply a more subtle approach."
"You didn't answer my question."
Jack let out a sigh and that was enough of an answer for Ianto.
"Maybe next time you should ask someone else to do it instead then." He dropped the folder on Jack's desk and left the office in a decidedly bad humour. Ianto glanced at his watch and discovering it was just on lunch time he rung the new Deli and placed the take out order for the team before heading up to the tourist office.
From his office Jack watched the young man leave through the roller door. He scooped the file Ianto had left for him and skimmed through its contents, as always Ianto had done a thorough job, he was just rather reluctant to have two members of his team placed in too vulnerable a position. He placed the folder back down realising that he had probably seriously insulted the archivist and decided he should go and apologise before he got fed laxative loaded coffee, or worse, Decaf. The trouble was, Ianto could be a stubborn bugger sometimes. He found the young man behind the tourist counter tidying the displays and generally looking like the genial guide that most visitors took him to be. The door to the office was open to the outside world letting in a waft of warm sea air and the bright rays of the mid day sun bounced off the boards just outside. It was a beautiful day. Jack hung about, hands shoved deep into his pockets and idly toeing a speck of dirt on the wooden floor.
"Was there something you wanted Jack?" The tone was ice cold. Jack often forgot just how much active Ianto was as a part of the team these days; he really had to stop treating him like a butler.
"I'm sorry if I offended you back there."
Ianto froze straightening up, his cheeks reddened slightly from the heat. "I'm surprised you noticed."
"Ianto...."
"No, Jack. You gave me a job to do. I did it to the best of my ability. I am trying to get Tosh and I into that place with the minimum risk, because once we go in, there is no back up. I know the notion is a little farfetched and it's only by good fortune that the scenario was open to us. If you don't want my input on field missions then don't ask me for it and shoot me down like that. I don't see you coming up with a better idea." Ianto snapped, uncharacteristically rebellious. Jack was taken aback.
"Have I missed something?"
Ianto sagged his shoulders. "Only seven months of our lives Jack, where we all learnt to cope with your absence. It's just you came back and suddenly I feel like I am turning into a doormat again. It's not just you; it's the others as well."
Jack just stood there, feeling awkward.
"I'm good at my job Jack, no one questioned me whilst you were away and I felt like I'd finally earned some respect, then you waltz back into our lives, no apology, no explanation and I am demoted back to being your office lackey and part time fuck buddy and expected to roll over and play dog."
"Ianto...."
The lunchtime delivery arrived in the shape of a pretty blonde girl who obviously only had eyes for Ianto. Jack watched rather put out by the attention she lavished on his staff member as Ianto took the food order from her with that sexy shy smile of his. They exchanged a few pleasantries about the beauty of the day and Clara kissed Ianto's cheek as she left the tourist office without even noticing Jack standing there in the middle of it. Ianto locked the door at her back and waved good bye through the glass. He proceeded to carry the sandwich tray down into the Hub and Jack followed at his heels in brooding silence. Ianto took the food to the boardroom then hit the internal coms button on Tosh's desk advising his co workers that lunch had arrived. He then went to the kitchen to make coffee, Jack still trailing behind him. Ianto felt decidedly uncomfortable as he made the drinks.
"I'm sorry you feel that way Ianto. I never wanted to cause that." It was heartfelt and Ianto sighed before turning to face him.
"It's not something you've done as such. It's just us falling back into old habits. Things I promised myself not to do. I just feel like I do not have your respect, I'm not an object to be petted or lusted after and while the flirting is very flattering, I just need to know it actually means something, otherwise I want it to stop and if you don't want me to be any more than the janitor, just say so, after all it's what I was hired for in the first place."
Jack shook his head. "You are not a janitor or an object. I thought we sorted this, you and I?"
"No we didn't Jack. You asked me on a date we've never been on. You're different, I'm different and we need to talk about what happened whilst you were away, not just with you but me as well."
"You really are mad with me, aren't you?"
Ianto hesitated at the sour look on his bosses' face. "No, I'm mad at myself. I just want to be an equal part of this team. I know you're still finding your feet a bit, but.... well things have changed." Ianto got back to making the coffee when he heard the sounds of the others coming in through the roller door. Jack stepped forwards and grasped his arm, gently turning him so that they were facing each other.
"You wanna know what's changed?" His voice was tremulous and he fixed Ianto with his oceanic gaze. Ianto nodded.
"I realised whilst I was away that I love you and it scares the crap out of me and quite frankly I never want to see you leave this Hub if that means I can keep you safe."
AN:....Ok, I'm not exactly certain of the timelines between TW and Doc Who so I am assuming that the whole ATMOS thing kicks off a couple of months after Jack returns from the valiant. Apologies if that is wrong!