Anythingdrabble Challenge 152 - Hanging by the phone

[m_findlow]

Title: Hanging by the phone
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters/Pairings: Jack, Ianto
Word Count: 500 words
Rating: PG.
Notes: Written for Challenge 152 - Call at anythingdrabble
Summary: Ianto can't keep his eyes off his phone today.

Ianto twiddled the pen in his hand and stared through his computer screen. Try as he might there was just no way he could concentrate - not today.

It wasn't as if he didn't have a million things to do. There were budget analyses for last quarter, performance reviews to sign off, and the monthly public media liaison group briefing that he abhorred doing. Someone always twisted his words and ended up having to be retconned. And he had to put together a detailed response to Torchwood Tokyo as to why they couldn't have an additional three million pounds of funding to push forward on a project to explore the Marianas Trench. Hadn't they read his report from 2009? There were things down there that were best left undisturbed. Alien yes, but dangerous. In this instance, it was a case of "if it's alien, leave it the hell alone".

He rubbed a hand across his face and checked the time on the clock for the hundreth time. It had never moved so slowly as it did today.

The phone rang and he leapt on it. 'Yes?' All his usual titles and decorum flew out the window. 'Oh, ah, no. Tuesday would be fine,' he replied to the question, feeling deflated and a little bit relieved. He set the phone back down on the desk. His expression turned into a frown as he looked at it like it had personally disappointed him.

He pulled open a drawer and rifled through the neatly arranged contents, finding his earpiece, little used these days in his more heavily administrative role. If he needed one on the fly there were always spares floating around. He lifted it to his ear and a hand stopped him just short of slotting it inside. 'Don't.'

How he'd not noticed Jack enter his office and side up beside him was further proof of just how distracted he felt. 'Just a quick listen,' Ianto promised. 'Just to see how they're getting on.'

Jack perched on his desk and clasped his hand between Jack's own. 'You think it's not killing me too? Every time my phone rings I'm expecting the worst.'

Ianto sighed, sympathising with Jack. 'I know. It just sets my teeth on edge, knowing our little girl is out there on her first operation.'

'She was trained by the best,' Jack replied. 'And she's twenty. Had to grow up sometime.'

Ianto's phone rang and they both jumped, scrabbling to be the one to get there first. Ianto only  just beat him to it. 'Yes?' he said, flipping it to speakerphone.

'Hi Dad, it's me. Just calling to let you know everything went smoothly. I know you and Dad are probably freaking out, but we're all good. See you back at the hub in an hour to two. Love you.'

Ianto's body felt like jelly. 'Love you, too,' he forced out before she hung up. 'Think I'm going to go lie down for a bit.'

'Think I'll join you,' Jack replied.