BTBD Challenge 28 - On the job learning

[m_findlow]

Title: On the job learning
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Owen, Ianto
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 1,270 words
Content notes: Written for Challenge 28 - Practice beattheblackdog
Summary: Owen is forced to acquire new skills

Jack had come up with some terrible ideas over the years, but this time he'd gone too far. No one touched his coffee machine, not ever. What the hell was he thinking, suggesting that Owen could make coffee whilst he was officially off active duty? Owen had no desire to become their tea lady, and Ianto had no desire to drag him through the humiliation. He shook his head from his spot behind Owen, but the look in Jack's eyes was firm and unyielding.

Bollocks.

 

Owen hated it. He felt like an absolute fucking twat. It wasn't bad enough that he was dead, but not dead, taken off active service at the only thing he'd ever been good at, now he was relegated to making the sodding coffee. He didn't want to be here, and he could tell that Ianto didn't want him here either. He just did a better job of not showing it.

At he least when he'd died he hadn't lost his mind. He still felt ridiculously bored watching Ianto take impossible pleasure at setting up the machine just so, letting the thick black brew filter into the tiny cup below, holding it up and savoring the aroma.

'We couldn't just have a jar of instant?'

'I thought you liked your coffee?'

He did. Truly. The amount of time Ianto spent preparing it and fussing over it was bordering on the obsessive compulsive, but it was the best coffee he'd ever had, and the problem was getting hooked on the stuff. Even so, he wasn't sure he loved it enough to be bothered making it himself. It was a downhill slope after that, first coffee making, next he'd be dusting the archives, reduced to Torchwood's maid. What a depressing thought.

Those thoughts were still swirling in his head when he took control of the machine. He hadn't really been paying attention, just assuming it was simple and straightforward, but the thoughts of being their new housekeeper, whilst Ianto took his place on the team, filled him with rage as the machine refused to work. At least he still had his rage. He didn't want to make coffee, he wanted his old job back. He wanted his life back.

 

Ianto felt bad for Owen. Bad enough he was going through a living death, now Jack was trying to fill his day with menial tasks. All well and good if you were the sort of person who could use it to their advantage, focusing on them instead of on the turbulent thoughts running through your head, but Owen wasn't built that way. He'd hoped at least that coffee making was seen as more of a skill and less of a chore, not that he had much to say in the matter after Jack had opened his enormous mouth. That didn't prove to be the case as Owen gripped the machine and shook it hard, as if needing to strangle something, anything.

'It's like you've finally won,' Owen cursed him.

'I didn't realise we were in competition.' It was the polite way of telling Owen to get over himself. None of them were happy about the situation.

 

He didn't necessarily enjoy it, but Ianto was endlessly patient with him. They all were, with Jack to a lesser extent, but there was something about the way Ianto didn't walk on eggshells around him that seemed to make things easier. Ianto was going to keep dishing out dry witted sarcasm like he always did, because he didn't do tea and sympathy, and Owen wanted none of it. Had it not been for that persistence, he wouldn't have bothered.

 

Ianto cringed the first time Owen brought him a cup. He tried to hide the expression, but the beans were badly burned and bitter in a way that wasn't good. Owen slumped in the chair next to him.

'Told you I was fucking useless at this.' At least Ianto had the good sense not to subject the others to his coffee making skills yet.

'You'll get there.'

 

Ianto was mildly apprehensive the next time Owen returned. He really didn't need another coffee, but Owen was struggling for something to do, and Jack wouldn't let him near even so much as a computer. The coffee machine was the only thing with more than two moving parts that qualified as safe. It was watery, but otherwise not nearly as bad as his first attempt. There was a chance that he hadn't completely clogged the machine with his efforts this time, either, and he also hadn't heard any cups being broken in the process.

 

Having something to do ended up being better than having nothing to do. He'd even improved enough to be allowed to serve the others, though the girls had probably been asked to be nice about it, which wouldn't be a stretch for them. So far though, Jack had continued to receive special dispensation. Ironic since he was the one who had made the suggestion in the first place.

He even thought he'd done a reasonable job this time around, passing out the familiar mugs from his tray as they all chatted about Henry Parker as if Owen were hardly in the room. He was listening and thinking at the same time, but still managed to turn around at just the moment that Gwen shot Ianto a glance across the boardroom table and they reached across to swap mugs.

Bugger. He still hadn't gotten it right.

 

It was very late when Owen offered last rounds for the day. Ianto wanted to say no thanks, but Owen had seemed unexpectedly eager. For someone who was doing it really tough, it seemed unthinkable to deny him. They'd had a long night and Owen had excelled, going in armed, but alone, saving the city from being blown up, even if he couldn't save Henry Parker. Buying him a Tin Tin t-shirt had been the least he could do to remind him he was still one of them. He hoped Owen had appreciated the gesture, even if he'd called him an arse not five minutes earlier. He wouldn't have done it if he didn't think Owen could handle himself, slipping by the larger of the two guards.

'You really don't have do,' he replied. It was the most polite way he could let Owen down gently. He was tired, and that last thing he needed was another coffee, especially a bad one.

'No, I think I've got the hang of it now. I promise. If it's rubbish I'll go back to picking up Jack's dry cleaning.'

He knew it would take a lot to impress Ianto, but he'd been a real mate through all the shittiness of the past week.  Owen hadn't realised how much of a friend he had, but then again, he come to realise he'd taken a lot of things for granted up until now.

 

Ianto gripped the sides of the mug, firmly schooling his features before bringing it to his lips. Despite his honest nature, he was prepared to lie his heart out to keep Owen happy at this point. In the end, he didn't have to. It certainly wasn't the same level of perfection he insisted upon himself, but it was surprisingly good. Perhaps you could teach an old dog new tricks.

'What do you know? It seems practice makes perfect after all. Keep this up and I'll be out of a job.'

'No chance,' Owen smirked. 'So long as shagging the boss is a prerequisite, you can keep your sodding job.'

Ianto sighed dramatically. 'It's a wrench, but someone has to do it.'

Comments

[bk_forever]

Poor Owen. I alway thought it was particularly cruel to put him on coffee making duties when he can't even drink it anymore. I don't even know if zombie Owen still had a sense of smell, but it would be even worse if he did.

It was cruel to Ianto too, making him let someone else take over a job he prides himself on doing better than anyone. Neither of them had done anything to deserve such punishment.