It was early evening, and the sun was about to set over the great city of London.
The last rays of sunlight reflected off the large windows of Canary Wharf's skyscrapers, serving as a reminder of a beautiful day gone by. After almost a week of constant rain, today had been perfect for a walk along the Thames or a picnic in one of the city's many parks.
One Canada Square stood tall in the glow of the setting sun, towering over the other buildings in the area. To most Londoners, it was a major landmark of Canary Wharf, but to most of those who worked inside the building, it was something else.
It was the headquarters of the Torchwood Institute.
Torchwood was a secret organisation, established to protect Britain from alien threats and secure alien technology for the benefit of the British Empire. Founded by Queen Victoria in 1879, the Institute moved its headquarters to the Torchwood Tower in the early 1990s.
Yvonne Hartman had an office on one of the upper floors. It was a typical day and she stayed late, as she did most days. Being the head of the institute and the director of the London branch, meant that the workload never ended.
She liked to wind down the day by reading reports and drinking a glass of scotch. After a long day of meetings, she was relieved to be alone in her office. The constant buzz of her staff on the other side of the glass walls had begun to fade as one by one had left the office and the night shift took over.
There was a knock on the door.
"Come in," she said without looking up. She knew who was on the other side. Ianto Jones was her personal assistant, and he usually stayed as long as she did.
"Hey, Yvonne," Ianto said, standing in the doorway of her office. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Oh, Ianto! You're a sight for sore eyes! Please come in," she said, waving him in. "I've had the most dreadful day. Up until an hour ago, I was talking to Whitehall, and I have no idea how some of them got a job over there. We've made some interesting progress with the free energy project, and it requires additional funding. But they don't get it! They have absolutely no respect for what we're doing here," she complained.
Yvonne had no intention of taking her frustration out on Ianto. No matter how stressful a day was for her, she always tried to maintain a positive attitude and treat her staff with the utmost respect. Happiness made for good teamwork. Of course, she expected results in return. So, she smiled at him and leaned back in her chair behind her desk.
"What do you want to talk to me about?"
Ianto played with the folder in his hands as he walked into the office. He closed the door behind him. "I mean... in private?"
She looked at him sceptically but shrugged.
"Of course."
At the touch of a button, the glass walls surrounding her office went dark. "Soundproof and completely private," she said. "I love these new gadgets that Acquisition come up with."
Ianto smiled anxiously as he stood stiffly in front of her.
"Come on, Ianto. Sit down. What's got into you? When did you get so shy around me?"
He reluctantly sat down in the chair in front of her desk, clutching the folder tightly.
The young man cleared his throat.
"I wanted to talk to you about something. You won't like it, but please hear me out first. This is really important to me."
Her welcoming smile turned slightly sour, and she furrowed her brow.
"You know you can talk to me if something is bothering you. What's on your mind?"
"Well," Ianto began, searching for the right words. "I've been working for you for a few months now. I've seen so much and I'm grateful for all the opportunities you've given me. Working as your PA is a privilege and the trust you've placed in me is a true honour..." His voice trailed off.
"Ianto, why do I hear a 'but' in your voice?" she questioned him.
"Be... because," he stuttered as he pulled a piece of paper from his folder, "I'd like to request a transfer to Torchwood Three in Cardiff."
He stood and quickly placed it on her desk before retreating to his chair.
"You what?" she exclaimed, staring at him in disbelief. She didn't even glance at the transfer application on her desk.
"Please let me explain," he said, but she cut him off.
"Why in the Queen's name would you request a transfer? And to this shithole to boot?" She had risen from her chair, placed both hands on the table and glared at him.
"Can I... just let me... I really thought about...," Ianto stammered. When Yvonne got angry, she was very intimidating.
"Ianto, why would you not want to work for me? I brought you in and took you under my wing. You are my confidant, my supporter, and my right-hand man. I consider you a friend! In such a position, you should not even consider leaving your job!"
"I know!" Ianto exclaimed. Did she call him her friend? "Yvonne, I would never quit my job! Torchwood is fantastic, and I wouldn't want to work anywhere else! See, that's why I came up with the idea of the transfer. It would be a different office, but it would still be Torchwood. And I'm grateful for the confidence you've shown in me, I really am!
But... but... as much as I love my job here... I don't think London is the right place for me. My family lives in Cardiff. My mum has been calling me every week since my dad died. She wants me to come home. And my sister just had a baby girl. I haven't even seen Mica yet. Rhiannon has asked me to be her godfather and wants me to live closer so I can see her kids grow up.
There are so many things waiting for me back home, but here in London, all I have is work. In all the months I've been here, I haven't managed to make any real friends."
"Friends are overrated," Yvonne remarked. "Who needs friends when you can work for us."
"Of course, Yvonne. I don't want to sound like I'm complaining. Work is great, I love it, but I feel obligated to my family," Ianto continued. "So I did some thinking and research, and Torchwood Three seems like the perfect solution. It's just a handful of people, I'm sure they could use some help."
"Why anyone would want to work for Harkness is beyond me," Yvonne said dismissively.
"I've heard all the stories about Captain Harkness, believe me," Ianto assured her, "but maybe I could bring some of the London flair and make changes to your liking. I could act as a liaison to make the two branches work better together." He gave her a hopeful smile.
Yvonne Hartman looked at him in horror.
"Under no circumstances will I allow such a transfer," she said angrily.
"But Yvonne, please..." Ianto began again, his voice growing desperate.
She pinched her nose and tried to calm herself. A personal assistant asking for a transfer was unheard of. And Ianto, of all people! She forced a smile.
"Let's talk about this. I'm not sure you realise how important you are to me and why I can't let you transfer out of here," she said with a much calmer voice.
She stood and walked around the large table to pull the young man out of his chair. Standing so close to him, she could see how distressed he was, his body shaking slightly at her touch.
"Ianto, calm down. I'm not going to bite your head off," she said, her tone soft and reassuring.
Ianto just nodded.
"Let's sit on the sofa and have a drink. I said I consider you a friend, and I mean it. If you are unhappy here, we can discuss it. That's what friends do, right? They share their feelings and their problems. Yes, let's do that," she decided in an overly cheerful voice.
As she turned to pour them both a drink, she added a few drops of a relaxation serum to his drink, which also acted as a truth detector. Ianto's desire to leave was unacceptable. She needed to know what was bothering him. No one had ever just left Torchwood. Either you were retconned, or you ended up in a bag. Ianto was too valuable for either option. And he was too precious to be tainted by Harkness' hands.
Ianto looked at her wide-eyed and allowed her to lead him to the narrow leather sofa next to her desk. He sat down and accepted a glass of scotch in one of her Victorian crystal glasses, which she handed to him before sitting down herself.
"Drink and relax," she said softly.
Ianto held the glass in both hands and sipped. The liquid burning down his throat quickly calmed his nerves.
"I will be forever grateful to you for allowing me to work here, Yvonne," Ianto began. "It's more than I could have ever hoped for. I mean, look at my CV before I came here. Waiting tables and working in a museum don't count for much. I have no idea why you saw such potential in me."
"Trust me, Ianto. I have a good eye for hidden talent," Yvonne reassured him, "and my leadership skills are undisputed. I know what I want from my personal assistants. When you helped me solve the Cardiff Museum case, I had no doubt of your abilities."
"Well, thank you," Ianto blushed a little. "Anyway. Like I said, I enjoy working here. It's exciting, and my co-workers are great. "M... mostly."
"Mostly?"
"Well," Ianto began but hesitated before continuing. "There are these jibes sometimes, you know? Because of my position? Especially Tommy can't help it. I never know if he likes me or if he's being nice to me because I'm your PA. And I'm sure a lot of people talk behind my back. I can see their looks," Ianto sighed.
"Oh, Ianto, you think too much. I can assure you that people like you. Why wouldn't they?"
"I don't know. When you hired me, it didn't take long for me to become your personal assistant. It was flattering, but I don't think it usually works that way. Maybe they think I'm sleeping with you or something..." he trailed off again, embarrassed.
"Sleeping with me?" Yvonne laughed in irritation.
"I know! Well, it bothers me," Ianto insisted. He turned the glass in his hand. "But maybe that's not even my real problem, more like an excuse I keep telling myself. I..." Ianto struggled to find the words. He took a deep breath.
He never liked talking about his feelings, especially in front of Yvonne. Yet he felt compelled to spill everything.
"I feel really lonely, you know?" he finally confessed. "Working for Torchwood is great, but I literally have nothing else going on in my life. London is so big that sometimes I feel... lost."
Yvonne looked at him uncomprehendingly. Why would he need anything else in his life but Torchwood? She had always seen it as an advantage that the job was all-consuming. Hobbies, family and grocery shopping were grossly overrated.
"Torchwood's supposed to be your family. Why would you need another one?" Yvonne asked.
Ianto frowned and looked at her with irritation. "I love my mum and my sister too, even though she's a pain in the ass most of the time." Ianto looked down at his empty glass. "Not that I would have admitted it before. I had to run away to realise how much I miss them."
Yvonne placed a finger under his chin and lifted his head to look into his eyes again. A sombre expression had crept into his blue eyes.
"I can't even find a girlfriend with a job like this," he said bitterly.
"A girlfriend? Really? Can't be that hard in an office this big, can it?" she looked surprised.
"Not if you are Yvonne Hartman's PA," he exhaled. He was starting to look exhausted.
"Oh," Yvonne said. She hadn't considered that.
Ianto yawned. The truth serum was working its way through his body, making him tired and finally allowing him to relax. He sank back into the sofa and rested his head on Yvonne's shoulders.
"That drink was really..." he slurred.
"Just what you needed," she whispered, planting a soft kiss on the top of his head. She ran her hand over his hair and down his cheek. "Relax. This place isn't as bad as it sometimes seems."
"I'm just so lonely," he murmured, leaning into her touch. "That's nice," he said, turning to put his arm around her waist and cuddling against her chest with his eyes closed.
A smile curled around her lips but froze when he spoke next.
"Half the staff think we sleep together. So why don't we?"
"Ianto," she laughed in surprise. "You're drunk!"
"When else would I find the courage to ask you?" he admitted with a serene smile. He opened his eyes again and looked up. "You are so beautiful. And you're always kind to me."
"That courage is really sexy," she murmured, pulling him back into a sitting position. When they were finally face to face, she kissed him gently on the mouth.
If anyone understood loneliness, it was her.
What a strange evening, Yvonne thought. Usually, she was the one who initiated intimacy after a stressful day. No one could calm her nerves better than Ianto. And it was always so easy to wipe his mind with a small dose of retcon afterwards.
For him to make the first move was new. And somehow nice.
She deepened their kiss and reached between his legs. Ianto moaned at her touch as he sank deeper into the cushions of the couch. She unzipped his trousers and began to stroke his hardening length. Ianto inhaled shakily, as he watched the movements of her skilled hand through glazed eyes.
"Let me take care of you, Ianto," she whispered. Then she slipped out of her panties, pulled up her skirt and lowered herself onto Ianto's cock. Another moan escaped his lips, and he closed his eyes as she began to move.
"Oh god," Ianto whined. "We shouldn't have done that. We really shouldn't!" He hastily zipped up his fly and buried his face in his hands. "I'm so sorry!"
The serum had begun to wear off during his orgasm, leaving him on edge as he came to his senses.
"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Ianto," Yvonne scolded him.
No matter how much serum she gave him beforehand, he always had doubts afterwards. That's why she liked to just talk to him when she needed company and limit herself to a cuddle and a good cry. That kind of intimacy usually ended with a lot less drama.
He grabbed her arms and begged. "Please, Yvonne. Accept the transfer request. This can't happen again!"
Yvonne cursed inwardly before she broke free of his desperate grip. Ianto was sweet, but his hysterical outbursts over trivial matters were wearing her down. So much for convincing him to stay.
"Okay, Ianto, let's call it a night. Let me think about your request, and we'll talk about it in the morning," Yvonne suggested, forcing herself to remain calm. The desire to snipe at him was almost overwhelming, but being angry would not help the situation.
Hearing her promise calmed Ianto. He nodded, and hope returned to his eyes.
She poured him a final drink and, unnoticed by him, slipped a small retcon pill into his glass. There was no need for him to remember what had happened tonight.
He gulped the drink down quickly and left the office with a hasty goodbye.
Watching him go, the Torchwood director began to consider countermeasures. There was no way she was going to allow him to move to Cardiff.
As Yvonne returned to her desk, she noticed that the transfer application had fallen to the floor. She shoved the papers back into the folder and picked it up. Ianto's office was next to hers, so she walked over and placed it in his top drawer.
Ianto would return to the office tomorrow, realising he'd forgotten to ask her about his request. So he'd ask again.
And this time she would be prepared.