Slashthedrabble Challenge 494 - Mind elsewhere

[m_findlow]

Title: Mind elsewhere
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Ianto/Jack
Author: m_findlow 
Rating: PG 
Length: 500 words 
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for Challenge 494 - Distraction at slashthedrabble 
Summary: Ianto is struggling to get past thoughts of his hotel room.

‘What did you think?’ came the question from the man standing opposite Ianto, as he sipped his coffee.

‘Sorry?’ Ianto said, trying his best to look apologetic.

‘I was asking you what you thought of Colonel Sharpe’s discussion paper on the application of neural indexing? I thought his presentation was quite excellent.’

Oh, that. ‘Yes, it was very thorough,’ he replied, feigning interest. And this was why Jack thought the whole lot of them here were nerds, himself included.

Jack couldn’t stand conferences at the best of times, and that was when they were discussing important things, like how to structure a board of representatives to liaise with their Shadow Proclamation counterparts, or how to deal with the vagaries of intergalactic law enforcement as it applied to aliens on Earth. The idea that Torchwood and its affiliated organisations might choose to convene on more specialised subject matters was beyond his comprehension.

Barely a month went by where there wasn’t one group or another gathering to share their knowledge. There were medical panels, technical groups, tactical and military exercises and cross-cultural exchanges. And of course, there were endless meetings for heads of organisations and departments.

But there were also conferences for people like him, whose lives were focused on keeping the whole very complicated network of cogs turning over. Or as Jack liked to call them, “the nerd squad”.

Ianto had been asked to present any number of times, and was forever being asked his opinion on the correct classification of particular alien items. The system he’d spent years setting up in Cardiff was becoming the gold standard for all branches and sister organisations.

It should have been a compliment, but there was more to his job than just filing. His attendance here was more as honorary guest. He’d long ago been promoted well beyond general support officer, but it was hard for Torchwood’s Director of Global Operations to decline the invitation.

‘I’m a little surprised you didn’t have any questions at the end of the presentation,’ the man said, watching him over the rim of his own cup.

‘Oh,’ Ianto began. He wasn’t even sure he’d heard half of what the Colonel had spoken about.

He’d only arrived this morning, having taken a red-eye flight to be here. There was time enough only to check into the hotel and admire the room which had been arranged for him by the conference organisers. He’d slept a few hours on the flight over, but seeing the opulent king-size bed and the large spa bath, only made him wish Jack was here to share it with him. Thoughts of Jack and what they could have been doing were the distraction his tired mind didn’t need. He supposed he should be grateful he didn’t fall asleep during the presentation, or start cuddling up against whatever poor soul had been sitting next to him. Now that would have been embarrassing!

‘I’m sure I’ll have some questions once I’ve read the paper in full,’ he replied.

Comments

[bk_forever]

Poor Ianto, even he can't avoid zoning out at times!

[m-findlow.livejournal.com]

Life is tough at the top. No matter how nice the hotel, it's all incidental to the real reason he has to be there. I'm sure he'll enjoy the bed much more later once the conference is over. :)