m_findlow

Title: Out of office
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Jack, Torchwood team
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 707 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for prisca's prompt "Any, any, Sometimes I wish I could disappear into nowhere" at fic_promptly
Summary: Jack is a man in demand

Ianto slipped quietly in through the door with his tray, laden with coffee and biscuits. He gripped it hard as something behind him caught his eye, steaming past him through the door.

'Third corpse for the day and I've had a gut full,' Owen complained. 'How come no one else around here works as hard as I have to?'

'Do you see anyone else around here with a medical degree?' Jack replied.

'Well, no, but,'

'Then do your job and let everyone else do what they do best. I don't want those corpses left here tonight stinking up the place.'

'Sodding slave driver,' Owen muttered, before brushing back past Ianto who hadn't moved throughout the entire, but brief, exchange.

Before he had a chance to take another step, Tosh was at the door, waiting for Owen to leave.

'Jack? Do you mind if I shut down our theta level monitoring systems while I try out a new program?'

'How long?'

'Two hours.' She paused. 'Actually, better make it four hours. The program is still very much in beta testing and I want to get all the bugs out of it before we get busy again. I promise it won't be more than four hours, maybe five. Six tops. Promise.'

'If I give you twelve hours, will that be enough?'

'Plenty. Thanks, Jack,' she said, beaming her approval before slipping quickly back out in her excitement to get cracking on... whatever it was.

As Ianto took a tentative step forward, he felt gentle hands grab him from behind so as not startle him.

'Jack,' Gwen said, appearing from behind Ianto's tall figure. 'Would it be okay if I left early tonight? Rhys is planning a date night at some restaurant and just texted to say I should dress up. Now, I've already booked a last minute appointment at the hairdressers, I just need your okay.'

Jack stared at the mountain of files littering his desk. 'Sure. Doesn't look like I'm going anywhere tonight.'

She grinned from ear to ear. 'Thanks, you're the best. Oh!' She halted grabbing Ianto again. 'Dress! Ianto, where's the closest one hour dry cleaner?'

'Smith's on St Mary Street.'

He cringed as she reached up and pecked him on the cheek in gratitude. 'Thanks. See you tomorrow.'

Jack gave a tired little wave before dropping his hand back on the desk, sighing and looking up at Ianto.

'I can go, if you like,' Ianto said. Jack didn't look like he could do with anymore visitors at this point.

'Why? Everyone else just comes in whenever they like.' He sighed again. 'Don't mind me. Come in, please.'

Ianto slowly strode forward, still clutching the coffee tray. Was anyone else about to come storming in? Did Janet want to make an appeal of some kind?

'Everybody always wants a piece of you, don't they?' Jack asked. 'Sometimes I wish I could disappear into nowhere. One job as Torchwood leader going cheap if you want it,' he said.

'I don't think I'd last very long,' Ianto replied. 'Nor be quite so popular.'

'Popular isn't all its cracked up to be. Sometimes I think it'd be nice just to be able slip quietly around the hub all day without being noticed.'

Ianto didn't think a show pony like Jack would find that kind of existence very appealing for long. There were days when even he didn't enjoy being quite so invisible. He did however appreciate how if felt to have people take you for granted.

'We each have our own cross to bear,' he said.

'I couldn't disappear?' Jack asked. 'Just for a little while?'

'Well, I mean you could. But if you disappeared, how would I know where to bring your coffee?'

Jack reached across, taking the proffered mug and a biscuit, inhaling the chocolate chip confection in one go.

'That's very true,' Jack muffled, trying not to eject crumbs from his mouth.

'We'd have to have pre-arranged coffee rendezvous points,' Ianto said, teasing.

'Now, that's a plan I could sign off on. Maybe we wouldn't have to restrict them to just coffee?' he suggested, sounding hopeful.

'And here I was thinking you wanted some alone time.'

'Oh, I do. But two people can have alone time together, can't they?'