Title: The King of Pentacles
By: BellaGwen
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood or the crew of The Hub. I'm just having some not-for-profit fun :)
Note: This was written for a challenge on Livejournal.
Summary: Ianto wants to believe he has an important role in Torchwood, but does even he believe that?

***

It was summertime, the sky was clear, but it was still so early that it was a washed out pale blue, and Ianto was glad of his warm jacket as he walked across the Millennium Plaza, breathing in the chilly air, feeling it tingle in his nose.

He loved mornings like this. In a few hours this town would be busy with people going to work in those fancy offices, then a little while later the summer visitors would start to fill up the coffee houses and souvenir shops that bordered the open space.

But now it was his to enjoy. Clean and empty in the weak morning sun that was just starting to reach into the sky and promise another fine, warm, summer day.

The screaming-squawk of the seagulls that wheeled above him made him smile. They always reminded him of seaside holidays when he was growing up, of going fishing with his father.

He paused outside the door to his 'office' and gave the plaza one more look before he left it for the next few hours. This was his time of the day. When he felt relaxed. Before the myriad of responsibilities and petty tasks started to clutter his mind.

As he unlocked the 'tourist office' and pulled the sign outside Ianto made a mental note to send for some more tourists maps of Cardiff. There was a run on them this year, since some new television programme had been set in the city and fans had started doing the 'filming locations' tours. It wouldn't do to have his 'tourist office' cover anything less from perfect.

It was part of his job to keep up that front for Torchwood and he knew he was good at it. The girls over in the 'official' tourist office had even invited him to their annual summer picnic this year. Of course he had declined, a sudden family illness, but secretly he had been very pleased that his part of the Torchwood facade was perfect.

There was little to do in his 'tourist office' simply because it was so perfect, not a thing out of place, and because it was hours before he could expect his first enquiring mind, so he flicked the lock on the door and took the stairs down to the Hub, for his first cup of tea of the day.

It was one of his little personal jokes, that always brought a smile to his face when he thought about it. Jack said his coffee tasted like magic, but he, Ianto, didn't care for the stuff at all. He was a tea drinker. Always had been. But still, he took pride in his coffee being enjoyed.

Standing at the coffee maker, in the almost dark silence of the Hub Ianto surveyed the desks on the level below him, as he cupped his mug in his hands and sipped from his tea.

The Hub was often empty, when the others were out investigating or chasing down something alien. But it was never as peaceful as the morning time, just before they arrived. He came down here every morning, a creature of habit, filled the coffee machine, ready for when his co-workers needed it.

He knew he was like a servant to them most of the time, bringing coffee, picking up their detritus. But it gave him a pride in his role in the team that they depended on him for something. Even if it wasn't the high tech skills Tosh had or the medical knowledge of Owen. Ianto liked to think, as he stood there, he was just as important a part of the team.

He leaned on the railing that surrounded the special area he had set up as a tiny kitchen. This was his part of the subterranean workplace. It had been his idea to upgrade from a kettle and percolator to the sophisticated coffee-making machine and it had taken a few conversations with Jack to make him agree to the little project, but Ianto's calm determination had convinced him. And they'd never looked back. There wasn't a day that didn't start with Jack almost pleading with Ianto for his industrial strength coffee. Another success under his belt.

Ianto felt almost happy, definitely comfortable, here. It was more home than where he lived. This was where he had a purpose, a role, a significance. This place and this time, early morning, his Hub. This is where he was a king of all he surveyed. This was his realm. He stood tall, full of pride in who he was, what he did.


Ianto musings were interrupted by the harsh motorised clanking noise of the lift from upstairs starting up. Without even thinking his body tensed. He was no longer alone. This place was no longer his.

Quickly and efficiently he turned to his caffeine tools. Whoever it was would be in need. They always were and he was always there. A mug of coffee, a shoulder to cry on. Ianto sighed. The first chink in his armour was breached with the rumbling of the lift.

It was Gwen.

She looked tired. She'd been crying again. He could tell from here, even if she had taken time with her makeup. As he poured milk in her coffee and made his way towards her desk Ianto thought, not for the first time, that Owen was a bastard.

A few nights before, when everyone else had left, she had cried on his shoulder. He'd listened, he'd talked, he'd tried to give advice, and he'd promised not to breath a word to anyone. But still she hadn't felt better and now she wouldn't look him in the eye. Like she was embarrassed to have broken down.

She muttered a thanks for the coffee but still didn't look up at him, when Ianto placed the mug on her desk.

As he walked away he started to wonder, again, what it was about him that made Gwen so sorry she'd confided in him. Because, he thought, she was obviously regretting it now. Well, really, he wasn't surprised. Everyone here was friendly but they were hardly close. They didn't really see him as one of them, most of the time. Oh they would probably say he had an important job, just not as important as theirs.

Later on that morning, as he moved around the Hub unnoticed or just ignored by the others, Ianto still couldn't stop the nagging doubt that he wasn't as good as the others.

He'd joined Gwen and Owen at Tosh's desk to have their new communicators explained to them. Every so often Tosh would pause and look to Ianto and ask 'Is that clear' or 'do you understand?' Just him, not Gwen or Owen.

He wanted to say something, object that he wasn't stupid, that he was more than just a tea boy. But he didn't. He just nodded.

As the afternoon wore on Ianto knew it was 'one of those days.' One of those days when he wanted everyone to be gone home, when he wanted the Hub to be quiet, empty, his again.

It wasn't like this every day. There were days when the pain he felt distracted him from the annoyance his co-workers caused him. But not today. Today they were grinding him down.

Owen had just about taken the biscuit.

It was almost the end of the day. Ianto had almost made it to peaceful again. Almost. When Owen had let rip. He was annoyed at something, something totally unconnected to Ianto, to anyone else. Some tests he was carrying out had gone wrong and Ianto was just the nearest person he could take it out on. Ianto suspected Owen knew that the girls would not have taken it.

It had been the usual tirade. It started with Owen blaming the stupid equipment, then Ianto for 'cleaning' it and ruining it, then just Ianto for messing up his space.

"I don't touch your 'space'..." Ianto had started to defend himself, but then gave up and wandered away from the irate doctor. He just didn't have the energy to fight him today.

"This is specialised equipment, keep away from it tea boy," Owen yelled after him.

It didn't matter that Gwen had told Owen to shut up then, Ianto was already wounded.

As he made himself a cup of tea he glanced around the Hub. The same room as it had been that morning but it felt like a different world. Not his world anymore. An alien world where he should fit in, but somehow he didn't.

He stifled a sigh as he made his way to the lift and back to his upstairs 'office'.

Ianto had left it sitting on his desk in the back office of his 'tourist office.'

It was the same cup of tea, cold and almost untouched, that greeted Jack when he returned to the Torchwood base that night.

It was late enough for everyone to be gone home. Everyone but Ianto, Jack knew, and he'd paused long enough to look in to the small back room before he took the lift down to his own workspace.

But no Ianto there.

It didn't take long for Jack to find him, in the Hub.

He knew the lift announced his arrival, but Ianto seemed to be lost in thought and oblivious as Jack walked up the short flight of steps to where the other man was sitting, lost in thought, at Tosh's desk.

Jack knew as soon as he saw Ianto. He knew the Welshman was unhappy. It wasn't just the trance he was in, or the open file in front of him that was being ignored. Ianto's body language spoke directly to Jack. And he figured that if he could read Ianto's slumped shoulders and tired expression it had to be obvious.

Jack sighed inwardly. He hated to see Ianto like this, but ever since Lisa, well, it was happening a lot. It was like Ianto had lost all confidence in himself. He was still the same person, Jack had tried to tell him. He was just hurt.

Jack knew what he was talking about. Ianto listened. But Jack still found him like this more times than he cared to remember. And it pained him.

Jack didn't have to try to be quiet as he walked up behind Ianto.

"Hey you ok Ianto?" Jack felt the tension in Ianto's body as he rested a hand on his shoulder.

He felt, rather than heard, Ianto sigh. "Just downloading the latest UNIT reports for you, sir."

Jack nodded. "Tell you what. Work some of that coffee magic for me and I'll take a look at them."

Ianto went about the task with close to his usual enthusiasm, but Jack knew him too well and could see there was an edge to actions.

When Ianto arrived with the steaming mug Jack motioned to the chair opposite his desk. This time Ianto did sigh aloud, as he sat down.

With one hand Jack reached for his coffee, with the other pushed the UNIT file across to Ianto.

"So what do you think?"

Ianto looked confused. "What do I think, sir?"

"You read the report. You can cut through that report jargon better than me, what d'you think?"

"Well..."Ianto started cautiously. For the next half an hour they discussed the report, Jack asking questions, giving his opinion and drawing out Ianto's. Finally Jack smiled. What ever kind of runs-ins Ianto had had during his absence he could see his confidence coming back.

"What is it, sir?"

"Ianto, what would I do without you?" Jack gave him one of his trademark grins.

"Sir?"

Jack had been pacing the office as they talked and now he stopped behind Ianto and rested his hands on the other man's shoulders.

"You keep me alive with that wonderful coffee of yours, you keep my office from turning into a paper mountain, and you make sense of these ridiculous volumes UNIT insist on sending me.

"You rule this place Ianto...you keep us all going."

"Sir? Have you been drinking something other than my coffee?" Ianto raised his eyebrows as he looked over his shoulder at Jack, who was grinning at him.

"No, I mean it Ianto, I don't tell you enough how important you are around here. You shouldn't let the others get to you."

Ianto sighed again and Jack saw him drop his head. Sinking to his knees beside him Jack looked up into Ianto's eyes. He saw a pain there that made him reach out and wrap his arms around him.

"Torchwood would fall apart without you Ianto," he said softly, as the Welshman rested his head against Jack's chest. "You're the king of the this place."

***