Slashthedrabble Challenge 580 -Weekend taxi service

[m_findlow]

Title: Weekend taxi service
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Jack, Ianto, Gwen
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 500 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for Challenge 580 - Long weekend at slashthedrabble
Summary: Ianto's weekend feels long for all the wrong reasons.

Gwen did a double take as she spotted Ianto gliding into the hub, heading straight for the coffee machine. She was caught in two minds whether to give a chirpy greeting or perhaps just wait for him to acknowledge her.

'Gwen? You want a coffee?' came the call.

Love one, she replied, trying to read the emotion in his voice but struggling to decide whether he was upset or not. He shouldn't even be here. He and Jack were meant to to be taking the weekend off, including the bank holiday on Monday, but here he was late on Sunday afternoon, turning up like they had no plans at all. Had they had a row? Was he about to go and sulk in the archives for the rest of the day? Was Jack about five minutes from storming in, ready to kiss and tell Gwen every last detail, hoping she'd take his side as round two waged on at the hub? Who knew. With those two, anything was possible.

Ianto brought the coffees over and slumped down at the desk beside her. He didn't look tired or angry, more just a general air of disappointment. Gwen took a chance and verbalised her thoughts.

'You and Jack cancel your weekend plans?'

Ianto cleared his throat awkwardly. 'Well, ah, no. Not exactly. I mean, we did have plans. At least until one of Jack's friends turned up.' Ianto made quotation marks with his fingers around the word friend.

'Friend?'

'One of those old friends,' Ianto explained. 'The kind that turn up from halfway across the galaxy unannounced and then insist of joining you everywhere to celebrate.'

Gwen set her mug down and looked at him. 'Sorry, are you saying Jack dumped you to go hang out with someone else?'

'Oh, no. I uninvited myself. I've tagged along on one of these before and it wasn't a great experience for me. Getting that drunk is something I might have survived when I was in my twenties, but not these days.'

'But Jack doesn't drink.'

Ianto smirked. 'Oh, he does when he wants to. Those two could drink the entire Pontypridd rugby club under the table and still manage to walk a straight line. Instead I had a cup of tea, read a few chapters of my book and had an early night. Until I got the early morning phone call to go and pick them up from the train station.'

'They couldn't get a taxi back? Or were they pigging out at Bryn's Bacon Butty shack? That's where Rhys always goes after a big night.'

'A bit expensive, since they needed me to pick them up from Manchester Station.' Ianto stopped her before she said anything else. 'Don't ask me how they got there at five this morning.'

'Hungover at home now, is he?'

'Nope. Just getting a few hours sleep before they hit the town again tonight. But if they end up in Glasgow tomorrow they can find their own way home.'