Ianto Jones (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
torchwoodteaboy) wrote2009-12-02 04:14 pm
torchwoodteaboy) wrote2009-12-02 04:14 pm
Entry tags:
[RL WITH AKIHIKO AND JACK]
Ianto had had enough of the Hub for one night. Being cooped down in the archives working on a filing system that never seemed to go anywhere fast for the past few days had left him feeling a bit antsy, and he'd really just needed to get out and breathe fresh air for a while. Which was why when as soon as he finished the section he had been working on for the majority of that day, he had interrupted Akihiko's own work to ask him out for a coffee. Jack was nowhere to be found, but Ianto left him a note, and he felt that was as good a notice as he could give him. The Captain was probably down in one of the many training rooms or something, which meant that he'd rather not be disturbed anyway.
Which was the reason Ianto stood at the counter at a cafe a few blocks off the Plass, having left Akihiko to keep watch of their table. All that had been left was one of those little round ones with two arm chairs on either side that cafes seemed to be sporting more and more often for the people who would rather do their work at the cafe than go home and do it. Ianto had to admit that the chairs did look comfortable, but he couldn't help but feel a bit of a fool at the idea of sitting in one of the tattered old armchairs in a suit that obviously cost at least twice what the chair originally had.
"Jones, Ianto?" the woman at the counter called out, pulling him out of his train of thought, and he quickly stepped up and accepted the paper cups from her with a murmur of thanks. He headed back to Akihiko, placing the younger man's drink on the table in front of him and folding himself into his chair. "Can't guarantee it'll be the best you've had, but it's probably the best that we can buy around here so late in the evening," he said to Akihiko, cradling his own cup in his hands to warm them. "Sorry I sprung this on you so suddenly, I just needed..." He trailed off, shrugging and looking around. Truthfully, he needed something simple and normal, after a day of wading through the files of a particularly dark era of Torchwood history.
Which was the reason Ianto stood at the counter at a cafe a few blocks off the Plass, having left Akihiko to keep watch of their table. All that had been left was one of those little round ones with two arm chairs on either side that cafes seemed to be sporting more and more often for the people who would rather do their work at the cafe than go home and do it. Ianto had to admit that the chairs did look comfortable, but he couldn't help but feel a bit of a fool at the idea of sitting in one of the tattered old armchairs in a suit that obviously cost at least twice what the chair originally had.
"Jones, Ianto?" the woman at the counter called out, pulling him out of his train of thought, and he quickly stepped up and accepted the paper cups from her with a murmur of thanks. He headed back to Akihiko, placing the younger man's drink on the table in front of him and folding himself into his chair. "Can't guarantee it'll be the best you've had, but it's probably the best that we can buy around here so late in the evening," he said to Akihiko, cradling his own cup in his hands to warm them. "Sorry I sprung this on you so suddenly, I just needed..." He trailed off, shrugging and looking around. Truthfully, he needed something simple and normal, after a day of wading through the files of a particularly dark era of Torchwood history.
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He had no idea if what he was saying would help at all, but he spoke from his heart. It was the way he had always lived, and it was hard for him to understand that perhaps, not everyone had the essential optimism to live the same way.
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He sat up straight suddenly, his office seeming to spin around him. Maybe a bottle and a half of home brewed hypervodka wasn't the best way to go about things. "I know. I'm sorry. Need to be stronger," he said, feeling more and more nauseous by the second. "The 21st Century. Need to be...need...I need to...!" He stood and threw himself across the room, tripping over Ianto where he was kneeling in front of him, almost careening headfirst into his desk in the process, reaching the waste basket in time to be violently sick.
Ianto hurried to his side, reaching a hand out to rub Jack's back gently. It was all rather too reminiscent of his days at university, except this was Jack and Ianto'd never seen him ill before. It was turning out to be a day of surprises all around. "You've really done it this time, Jack," Ianto said quietly, running his other hand over his face in frustration. He turned to Akihiko. "Could you get some water? I'm not too familiar with hypervodka or whatever it is, but he's got to stay hydrated, at the very least."
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He returned a moment later with a cup of water and approached the two men cautiously.
"Here, drink this Jack," he said gently, holding the water out.
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Ianto sighed, rubbing Jack's back again. "Makes a good example of why you shouldn't drink this much," he said, mostly to Akihiko, as Jack was otherwise preoccupied. "You're going to be feeling this in the morning, that's definitely for sure."
Jack groaned at him and sat back, leaning against Ianto. He wordlessly took the glass from the younger man, drank it down, and then handed it back, mumbling something under his breath that Ianto couldn't quite make out. It seemed to Ianto that the hypervodka had caught up with him, and fast. Maybe it was something to do with Jack's metabolism, who knows? Ianto certainly didn't.
"Give him another moment, and then will you help me get him up and on the bed? He's right heavy, especially when he'll probably not be much help himself." He carefully avoided the term dead weight, because although not applicable in this situation, most of the other times Ianto had to be lifting Jack the term was almost painfully accurate, what with Jack usually being actually dead and all.
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He watched, waiting to be sure that Jack wasn't going to be sick again. Between him and Ianto, they should be able to get Jack to bed, thankfully, but the problem they were trying to deal with was probably not going to be solved today.
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Between the two of them, they got Jack settled on the bed. Ianto made sure that he was lying on his side and moved the wastebasket over beside him before turning and walking out of Jack's office, waiting until Akihiko was out after him before shutting the door behind him. He took in a breath and let it out slowly. "Of all the things that I thought would happen today, this certainly is not even close to being one of them."
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Then he gratefully followed Ianto out of the room and sighed. "No, I wasn't expecting that, either," he admitted sadly. "Ianto...what did he mean about letting Gray go?"
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He lowered his head. "Gray tripped, and Jack let go of his hand. Lost him in the chaos of the attack. He says that it was the worst day of his life, and frankly, I believe it. It was a good part of the reason that Jack became a Time Agent, and set his way on the path to now, to find Gray." He shook his head. "All of this guilt and pain just because he slipped and let go of his hand. I still can't believe that Gray blames him for it, though."
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He lowered his head, wrapping his arms around himself and gripping his own upper arms in his gloved hands. If his sister hated him for his own failure, if she had endured horrible torture that drove her insane and made her murder two of his friends... he would probably be drinking, too. He couldn't blame Jack for wanting to keep Gray near, wanting to make him forgive him.
"We have to do something," he said softly. "For Jack, and for Gray, too."
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How could he even begin to suggest this to Akihiko, though? "We'll think of something," he said, nodding. "In the meantime, maybe you should just call it a day. Jack's not going to be up anytime soon, Gwen's got the day off, and I..." he motioned around the Hub, "suppose I have to clean up this mess. So unless you'd like to help...?" he trailed off. He had deliberately changed the subject, his thoughts becoming too dark for him to deal with at that moment. Truthfully, he really needed time to think about it all.