Title: Of Coffee and Men
By: lilithangel
Pairings: Jack/Ianto
Rating: G
A/N: written for week one of writerinadrawer
Summary: On Ianto’s first day at Torchwood Three he finds something stored in the back of the kitchen that makes him feel at home.

***

The first time he saw it Ianto knew he could enjoy working at Torchwood Three.

Despite the horrible secret he had concealed in the depths of the Hub, despite the uncomfortable attraction he felt for Jack, and despite the deplorable state the other team members left the place in, this would make some of it worthwhile.

Anywhere that had such beauty hidden under the verdigris of neglect was somewhere he could find solace from the blood and screams inside his mind.

“Hello,” he said as he meticulously cleaned the coating of green tarnish away and polished the copper to an as-new shine. “Aren’t you a beauty?” He smiled as he ran water through the system several times and then set it to brew.

Although it had been neglected it was still in perfect working order and he absently stroked the now gleaming sides as they warmed up. Keeping his hands busy helped keep his mind busy and he needed the distraction.

The machine hissed and rattled and Ianto was grateful for the eccentric coffee shop owner he had worked for at university. Davyd loved the old machines and enjoyed showing Ianto how they worked. He had never tried to use one, but Davyd’s teaching had been meticulous.

The smell enticed Jack into the small kitchen and his eyes lit up at the dark elixir dribbling out.

“I am never going to regret hiring you, Ianto Jones,” Jack said reverently as he carefully inhaled the aroma in the cup Ianto offered him.

When Jack brought the brand new machine after the unfortunate Weevil incident Ianto couldn’t bear to get rid of the old one. Ianto Jones was nothing if not loyal, and he actually quite enjoyed polishing it.

It wasn’t the same again and the new one was much faster and easier to clean, but Ianto loved the old machine and continued to look after it.

The day he returned to the Hub after Lisa he found himself standing in front of the copper machine, now dulled from his neglect, remembering Jack’s words on that first day.

“Don’t make me regret giving you a second chance,” Jack said from the doorway, echoing the memory in his head.

Ianto knew there was nothing he could really say so he polished the copper back to gleaming and set the machine hissing and bubbling while Jack watched him.

Jack accepted the cup with the same reverence as the first, but the shadows in his eyes told Ianto it would take more than coffee to bring their relationship back from the hateful words both had thrown.

In the days and weeks that followed he realised that behind the polish of Jack’s façade was a dullness that he could sometimes lift with a flirtatious comment or a cup of old fashioned perfectly made coffee.

Ianto Jones was nothing if not loyal, and it didn’t take much to transfer that loyalty to someone else who needed taking care of.

END

***